Nigerian secessionists greet Trump as help against Muslim north

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank J. Larkin as House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irving looks on after reviewing troops on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. REUTERS/Michael Heiman/Pool
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank J. Larkin as House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irving looks on after reviewing troops on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.
REUTERS/MICHAEL HEIMAN/POOL
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By Anamesere Igboeroteonwu | ONITSHA, NIGERIA
Over 1,000 southern Nigerian secessionists took to the streets on Friday to express the hope that newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump might help counter Muslim influence in their country.

Shouting "Biafra for Trump", protesters held up U.S. flags and pictures of Trump in Port Harcourt, a major port city in the southeast, while also brandishing the Biafran flag and warning about Muslim influence in Nigeria.

Southern Nigeria is mostly Christian while Islam is the majority faith in the north.

Trump has hardly mentioned Africa during his election campaign. But his views about curbing Muslim immigration have scored well in southern Nigeria where many complain of neglect from President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the north.

Trump took office in Washington on Friday.

"Arrests have been made - about 53 persons and counting," said Nnamdi Omoni, police spokesman for Rivers state, where the rally took place.

"They have been in processions, singing and dancing along the roads and we are doing our best to contain them because we do not want the situation to degenerate or snowball into something else," said Omoni, who denied claims by protest leaders that officers had opened fire on the rally.

George Ipob, one of the protest leaders, said that "unlike Obama, Trump is sensitive to people like us ... he being also leader of the greatest free Christian country.

"We believe in his policies and agenda against terrorism, unbridled killings of defenceless people, subjugation and suppression of people across the world by despots," said the deputy national coordiantor for the Indigenous People of Biafra, who only gave his name as George.

"Trump is sane and sensitive to people like us ... will listen to our cries and put in a word for us where it matters."

Secessionist feeling has simmered in the southeast since the Biafra separatist rebellion tipped the west African country into a 1967-1970 civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people.

In November, Amnesty International said security agencies had killed at least 150 peaceful "Biafra" advocates. Police and army have denied this.

Aigbofa:
Imagine the type of passion it will provoke if Trump is seen as helping Christian Biafrans against Muslim north.
The next episode of this drama should be very interesting.

aljharem:


That will be a VERY GOOD MOVE !!!! Ole ni awon ara oke oya. Abeg make them no forget to free Yoruba nation as well upto Jebba

aljharem:


That will be a VERY GOOD MOVE !!!! Ole ni awon ara oke oya. Abeg make them no forget to free Yoruba nation as well upto Jebba

Stingman:


...what are you doing about that...? Oh you want the Igbos to die for you and you just get your freedom up to Jebba, hu? That's called treachery...You got to fight for what you believe in...

Aigbofa:


Maybe you are right, but the problem is not strictly Christians vs Muslims, even an independent Biafra will still have some muslims.

steppin:

Yeah, few Muslims. They won't mess around like they do in Nigeria.

aljharem:


Who asked the IPOD to fight for us ? It is not by protesting on the street. Just watch as things will plan out !!!

I suggest IPOD follow our method of doing things.

Aigbofa:


I personally will like the Biafrans to go.

aljharem:


That will be a VERY GOOD MOVE !!!! Ole ni awon ara oke oya. Abeg make them no forget to free Yoruba nation as well upto Jebba

Aigbofa:


You will keep them in check right? And maybe persecute them a little bit. I know Biafra will not be a beacon of hope for the oppressed anyway, the signs are clearly there.

Aigbofa:


Maybe you are right, but the problem is not strictly Christians vs Muslims, even an independent Biafra will still have some muslims.

Noneroone:
A yoruba helped to write this fake article

Biafrans dont welcome trump just as a help against north but as a help in their self determination quest. The article is in effect vacouos as it does not state the aim of the protesters other than curbing "muslim influence". Reuters allowed them to mess up their article.

Nonsense!

aljharem:


Who asked the IPOD to fight for us ? It is not by protesting on the street. Just watch as things will plan out !!!

I suggest IPOD follow our method of doing things.

Stingman:


We pray that the Igbos would change their mind otherwise, we afonjas are doomed...Ilorin comes to mind!!!Pray, pray, pray, Ogbenis....pray!!!

Aigbofa:


You will keep them in check right? And maybe persecute them a little bit. I know Biafra will not be a beacon of hope for the oppressed anyway, the signs are clearly there.

Joel3:
Trump is trying to isolate America and planning allies with Russia and isreal. countries like Britain, Germany, France, China, southern Americas & Muslim nation are already shivering. this is the new world order. do as I saw. eliminating all extremist Muslims to bring peace to mother earth. Muslims would have done the same if they are the world power. example in Nigeria. e.g the Fulani Muslims killing Christians in Nigeria since buhari became president and the President is not doing anything...


just imagine if buhari is in charge of the over 35 thousands nuclear warhead code box in America which trump is now in possession of. the fulani would have given praise to Allah and roasted all the Biafra, afonja, Niger Delta Christan and claim all their land and kidnap the women to sex slaves.. the Isis would also attacked the world and bombed isreal all nations.


to scare you further trump want to dissolved UN so he can freely dictate the affairs of America without foreign interference and the world at large, he will not concede defect if he lost and with Russia as standby allies and Israel by his side the Europe and Muslim countries are in trouble. he will freely bombed any Islamic nation that dea him. or any country that challenge him. another Hitler is here a new era and Muslim nation is already afraid.

ISIS and boko haram, herdsmen will be a thing of the past. and I see more countries building more nuclear in this new era. no more climates change funding as trump don't care and America is first.


God bless America and God bless Christians and Jews. a transition to a new peaceful world. an era for common sense.

steppin:

They won't be oppressed, but be kept in check like the US does. No harm in doing that.