The Continued Persecution Of Nnamdi Kanu And How Nigeria Government Is Invariably Nurturing A Volcano

  The Continued Persecution Of Nnamdi Kanu And How Nigeria Government Is Invariably Nurturing A Volcano

The leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was Kidnapped in Kenya, tortured, extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and arraigned in court on 29th June 2021 over frivolous charges of treasonable felony and terrorism, which the appellant(Kanu) pleaded not guilty. 

Following the appeal by Kanu, a competent Appellate Court in Abuja discharged and acquitted the IPOB Leader from all charges on 13th October, 2022, and barred all further trial of the case, by any Nigerian Court. This is on the grounds that the Nigeria judiciary lacks jurisdiction to try Kanu, due to the illegal process of his arrest and extradition. But, the Muhammadu Buhari led government, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami rejected the judgement and said that he(Kanu) was only discharged and not acquitted. So they have continued to illegally detain IPOB leader in the Department of State Services(DSS)'s detention facility, which can be safely described as a dungeon, due to the uncomfortable state of the facility.

Prominent personalities and world respected institutions like the united Nations working group have called on the Nigerian President to release Nnamdi Kanu, but to the requests fell on deaf ears.

Some of the personalities and institutions includes; Late Elder Dunu Mbazulike Amaechi who was the Nigeria First Republic Aviation Minister, Late Amaechi pleaded with the President to release Kanu to him as his final wish for his services and devotion to Nigeria; the then 94 years old man said he could go on his knees if that would soften the heart of Buhari to grant him his last wish. But that request was not granted before he dead on November 1, 2022. May his gentle soul rest in peace! 

Others are: Iyom Bianca Ojukwu(Wife to late Chukwuemeka Dim Ojukwu, the first Biafra leader/head of state), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike (the leader of the movement of actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra 'MASSOB') and Kanayo O.Kanayo (a Nollywood veteran) who called on Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu as a birthday gift to him. But, all of the above were ignored by the Nigerian president.

Members of the European parliament and the United Nations working group on arbitrary determination asked the Nigeria government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and engage him in a political discussion, because his demands for a referendum are legitimate under the United Nations charters, which Nigeria is signatory to.

Most recently, Jarvis Johnson a member of District 139 in the Texas House of Representatives made a request to Joe Biden, the President of the United States of America to compel Buhari to obey court order and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. 

 

As it stands, there is a blunt refusal of the Nigeria government to comply with court orders and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and this has been raising very serious concerns in the minds of conscientious individuals pertinent questions like, "has Nigeria irredeemably degenerated into a lawless entity?" Is the tenets of modern democracy that correlates the share of power amongst the arms government without intimidation from the executives over the judiciary and legislatives still prevalent in Nigeria? or Is this just part of the long existing hatred engendered against the Igbos and Biafrans? 

This act of disrespect displayed by the Nigeria government to these above mentioned personalities and institutions show how arrogant and reckless those tribal bigots saturating the political corridor of Nigeria are. Their feudalistic mentality is the driving force to treat Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Biafrans and other indeginous population in Nigeria with contempt and disregard. Hence all and sundry In Nigeria and around the world must rise up and prevail against these band of reprobates.

Buhari and his kinsmen should understand that respect is reciprocal. They should not be drunken with power and ignore the sincere call of those individuals and constituted authorities for justice to be served and peace to prevail.

IPOB is a nonviolent self-determination movement which believes in a democratic world recognized process(referendum) to determine the fate of Biafrans that were illegally almagamated by the British since 1914, but the continued illegal persecution of Nnamdi Kanu could affect the status of the above principle. The movement's patience could exceed its elastic limits and could revert to anarchy.

Nigeria government is wittingly nurturing a Volcano that could erupt and destroy the already debilitating entity, if they continue to hold the IPOB leader. The only option left for Nigerian President Buhari is to hearken to the voice of reason, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and engage IPOB in a dialogue to discuss the future of the union.

 Written by Ify Mmaduabizie

Edited by Enenienwite Ikechukwu

For Family Writers Press International