CurrentReport Blog Jonathan Levy, the attorney representing the Simon Ekpa-led Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE), has called for the removal of Nigeria’s representative at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), Acting Secretary-General Abiola Idowu-Ojo. The demand was made in a protest letter sent to the Commission, which was seen by our correspondent on Tuesday.
This comes after BRGIE accused Idowu-Ojo of neglecting to address their petition for Biafran self-determination. The petition cited alleged marginalization and human rights violations against the Biafran people. According to the pro-Biafra group, the Executive Secretary’s actions reflect a biased stance against their cause.
Levy’s letter highlighted that Idowu-Ojo, a Nigerian citizen educated in Nigeria, had summarily dismissed BRGIE’s communication without proper review, arguing that it failed to state a case or present any relevant facts. The BRGIE lawyer pointed out that the procedural rules of the ACHPR, which require the Executive Secretary to explain her decision and allow amendments to the communication, were ignored.
In his letter, Levy demanded that the ACHPR Commissioner recuse Idowu-Ojo, claiming her Nigerian background renders her incapable of objectively addressing the plight of the Biafran people. He argued that Nigeria’s educational and political system has ingrained bias against acknowledging Biafra, making it impossible for a Nigerian official to fairly evaluate the petition.
“The genocide of 1967-1970 must never be repeated. The BRGIE has attempted to place the matter of human rights and the Biafra self-referendum before the African Union. If the African Union refuses to take up the challenge, that organization must be relegated to the garbage pail of history as a relic of neo-colonialism,” Levy stated.
He urged the African Union to take a neutral and just stance on Biafra, rather than following the legacy of its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which he claimed had historically opposed Biafran independence.
