Pope
Francis greeted a group of activists from the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) group, who are campaigning for secession from Nigeria, after they
gathered at the Vatican on Sunday.
IPOB is led by Nnamdi Kanu, a U.K.-Nigerian
dual citizen who is currently detained in Nigeria, facing trial for treasonable
felony.
Kanu
is the director of Radio Biafra, an underground media outlet that broadcasts
material in favour of an independent state of Biafra in southeast Nigeria.
Nigerian
military officer Odumegwu Ojukwu declared Biafran independence in 1967, sparking
a three-year civil war that resulted in more than one million deaths and ended
in 1970 with Biafra being reintegrated into Nigeria.
During his weekly Angelus address—where the
Pope addresses crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the
balcony of the Apostolic Palace—Francis extended a word of welcome to the
indigenous people of Biafra. The Pope’s statement was greeted with cheers and celebration
by the Biafran group, who were waving flags during the address.
Watch the video clip.