Several pro-Biafra groups, speaking under the auspice of Biafra Peoples National Council, have called on the Commonwealth of Nations to withdraw Nigeria’s membership.

The newly-formed Biafra Peoples National Council is composed of representatives of Biafra ethnic nationalities and pro-Biafra groups.

BPNC was created at a conference organised by Organisation of Emerging African States, in Accra, Ghana, between May 27 and 31, 2016.

A communiqué signed by Uchenna Madu on behalf of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, and the representatives of the other pro-Biafran groups, called for the expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth.

The pro-Biafrans accused the Commonwealth of Nations of “double standards” for not imposing sanctions on Nigeria over the “extra-judicial killings of more than 700 civilians of Biafran origin and pro-Biafran activists” by Nigerian security agencies.

“The conference strongly rejects the blatant double standards of the Commonwealth of Nations and the attitude of individual member states of the Commonwealth”, the communique said.

“The conference recommends to the Commonwealth of Nations to immediately begin the process of expelling the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations in compliance with the Harare Commonwealth Declaration and the norms and principles of respect to peoples and human rights.”