Nigerians Need Protests Genocide, Insecurity, Poverty, not release Nnamdi Kanu
Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, PhD
As a stubborn kid, there were two adages of caution, or better stated, warning, my mother frequently handed down to me in relation to my friends and associates. One was, to state in my native parlance, “O so nwa Oba kua oka, o ga-esokwa taa?” (Will the man who follows the son of the Oba to plant corn equally follow him to eat the same corn?) The second adage says, “Oke solu mgwele daa mmili, okochaa mgwele, o ga-akokwa Oke? (When a rat follows the lizard into the water, when the lizard gets dried up, will the rat equally dry up?)
Let me make it clear to those I don’t expect to like me that, if I am made the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria today, the release of Nnamdi Kanu will neither be automatic nor by the force of demonstrations by street urchins remote-controlled by such self-centered civil rights activist like Omoyele Sowole and, such myopic and cheap political opportunists like Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
I am not a supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Government and I will never be in future; but what was the defunct Biafran national flag doing during the said release-Nnamdi Kanu protest and, what message was it intended to send? Nnamdi Kanu’s picture was equally displayed, adorned with defunct Biafran national flag in a manner depicting a liberator of the Biafran nation. What was that meant to achieve?
Were they telling the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu to continue with his agitation for the secessionist Biafran nation or, to seek for forgiveness and reconciliation for all the crimes he committed against the same Igbo people he claims to be fighting to liberate?
Ridiculously, I heard Peter Obi, the so-called Igbo hopeful for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria speaking assertively that Nnamdi Kanu did nothing wrong and should be released unconditionally. What a pity. I don’t know who advises that man called Peter Obi. He calls himself a trader. Does he think commodity trading is the same with national politics and strategic political bargaining?
One cannot understand why Peter Obi takes delight in feeding Almajiri Islamic terrorists-in-training and, has not deemed it right to condemn the on-going genocide against Christians in Nigeria; yet he was cunning enough to tell Bishop David Oyedepo that his 2023 Presidential election was akin to religious war between Christians and Muslims.
My people say, “Person wey dey cry dey see road.” Does Peter Obi think the Fulani he’s currently licking their ass in exchange for support for his Presidential ambition are fools? They are only trying to use him as a ladder to achieve their own Presidential ambition thinking that the spiritual force that drove the Obidient Movement in 2023 is still there. People like us are not praying for General election in 2027 if Nigeria will be put political order. If I say our Igbo people from the Southeast no get sense, dem go say I bi Igbo hater. How I go hate my own people?
Omoyele Sowole the acclaimed roguish civil rights activist did not see the on-going maladministration of the nation by his ethnic kinsman President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to protest against. He did not see the precipitous state of insecurity in Nigeria to protest against. He did not equally see the on-going genocide against Christians in Nigeria, which has now attracted international attention to protest against.
It was only the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu—a man who remains forever as unrepentant for his crimes against his own Igbo ethnic kinsmen as he remains abusive and arrogant in his trial that Omoyele Sowole saw fit to organize protest for. What we had expected from Omoyele Sowore was to protest against the Nigerian Judiciary for delayed justice in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. Just take a look at how brief the trial of Simon Ekpa was for similar offence.
Let me make it clear to those who might attempt to compare the case of Nnamdi Kanu with those of Sunday Igboho of Yoruba nation movement and, the Islamic terrorist Fulani herdsmen, Bandits and Boko Haram. They are morally incomparable in every moral and political ramification. These people knew who their enemies are and they go after them. But that is not the case with Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB.
Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB have no clearly defined enemy, that they do not understand the meaning of an enemy. Their presumed real enemies being the Fulani and their Jihadists they went after only by rhetoric, while the people (Igbo of Southeast) they presume to be defending, they went after physically and mentally; killing, maiming, harassing and, destroying their means of livelihood and property. How much solution did the enforced periodic sit-at-home order in the Southeast bring to the demand for the release of Nnamdi Kanu?
Not only that, Nnamdi Kanu went further to create enmity between the Igbo and those who should be in political alliance with them, redrawing the map of his fictional Biafran nation to include those who hitherto were not part of the original defunct Biafran nation, and are still not willing to join his own; thus reinforcing the pre-civil war narrative of Igbo intention to dominate other ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Nnamdi Kanu made unprintable statements against the Yoruba nation in particular, which clearly exacerbated the already fragile relationship between the Igbo and Yoruba. He saw himself as the Emperor of the yet-to-be born Biafran nation with a megalomaniac sense of arrogance and authority that only befits the likes of Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin of Uganda, Macias Nguama of Equatorial Guinea and Jean-Bédel Bokassa of Central African Republic. One can see him still exhibiting the same characteristic even during his on-going trial in Court.
Nnamdi Kanu was never ready to listen to the advice of any Igbo leader, not even from sitting State Governors of Southeast. I remember the former Governor of Anambra State, the respected Okwadike Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife calling me one night after the release of Nnamdi Kanu on bail in 2017, informing me that Nnamdi Kanu would be visiting him the following day in the night and, if I would be able to drive down from Nsukka to join in advising him
I however informed my revered political god-father that I was in Lagos at the time and would not make it; but that he should advise Nnamdi Kanu to play low key and keep up consultations with key Igbo figures on how to solve his problem and that of the Igbo. Did Nnamdi Kano heed to such advice?
Not long after, he went berserk as usual against the conditions set for bail by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who stuck out his neck to stand surety for him at a time no Igbo personality was willing to do so. This prompted the Southeast Governors under the Chairmanship of the then Governor of Ebonyi State, the present Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi to invite him to a meeting at Government House, Enugu on August 30, 2017 under the auspices of Southeast Governors Forum.
It is interesting to note that during the said meeting, his own Abia State Governor and Imo State Governor neither attended nor sent representatives. Anambra State Governor sent the Deputy Governor to represent him. It was therefore the case of his Abia State Governor and, that of the sister-State of Imo refusing to sit down with Nnamdi Kanu for any form of discussion. In the meeting, Nnamdi was advised to change quest for secession to restructuring, which he agreed to; but only on the condition that Nigeria returns to 1963 Constitution.
One was wondering what Nnamdi Kanu saw in the defunct 1963 Republican Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria that made him to see it as alternative to his agitation for a Biafran nation? Was he demanding the impossible return to the old Eastern Region structure, without regard to the opinion of the Eastern minority ethnic groups who constitute part of the South-South Geopolitical Zone today?
To this, the Governors of Ebonyi and Enugu States, Dave Umahi and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who were indeed the only Governors present in the meeting, bluntly told him that their States would not return to such political structure. But Nnamdi Kanu insisted that it was either a return to 1963 Federal Constitution or Biafra. But the question is do the Southeast Governors have the powers to impose the 1963 Constitution on the Nigerian nation?
So the meeting ended in disagreement; although with the hope that a common ground might be reached later; hence the meeting was adjourned to two weeks-time. But it was a strategic adjournment to get him back into custody because they knew in his pigheaded obstinacy that he would never shift ground in his position.
The question is what audacity does Nnamdi Kanu have to propose the return to 1963 Federal Constitution? The fact that his own State Governor was not in the meeting should have informed him that he was not enjoying the protection of his own people. Of course, that fact is obvious till date, given that Abia State has the least reported IPOB incidents.
The rejection of the two State Governors present in the said meeting of his untenable 1963 Constitution pet-project should have given him enough reason to beat a tactical retreat. But being a man without the least University education, such tactic was far from him. As a megalomaniac he is, such a meeting only gave him added despicable impetus to continue acting with reckless abandon against the standard behavior of anyone under Court bail conditions, with the mentality that only befits the Kano State Islamic fanatic Muhammad Marwa Maitatsine.
This prompted the intervention of Nigerian Security agents. That action subsequently led to the slaughter and arrest of many unsung Igbo youth who were deceived into following Nnamdi Kanu’s megalomaniac ambition. What happened to Nnamdi Kanu? He was smuggled out of Nigeria to Ghana, from where he fled to UK and, later travelled to Kenya in quest of illicit money, where he was eventually abducted, drugged and brought back to Nigeria.
What happened to the only Igbo patriot who risked his political career to stand surety for him, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe? He was threatened with arrest and imprisonment, which is the legal consequence for anyone faced with such dastard episode. If Nigeria were to be a normal civilized country, Senator Abaribe would have gone to Prison without hitches?
Not mindful of the fact that he was under court bail with the political career of the man who stuck out his neck to stand surety for him at stake, he continued his contemptible incendiary rhetoric from exile, which coincided with increased state of insecurity in the Southeast perpetrated by his IPOB-ESN miscreants. It was at that point that Southeast Igbo leaders decided to package him back home to continue with the trial, if only that would subside the killings in the Southeast.
So, it was not the Federal Government security agents that planned and executed the abduction and repatriation of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria. It was perfectly planned and finely executed by Igbo leaders of the Southeast with the Federal Government only providing the logistic support. The plan to bring Nnamdi Kanu to Nigeria was indeed initiated by the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor as soon as he assumed office in January 2021.
But the actual execution began after the visit of the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu following IPOB-ESN attack on Imo State Headquarters of Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Correctional (Prison) at Owerri on Easter Monday. Indeed, from that episode to June 21, 2021 when Nnamdi Kanu was finally arrested and subsequently repatriated to Nigeria, Imo State witnessed many turbulent security challenges.
That was when the leader of IPOB-ESN military wing Mr. Ikonso was eliminated by the security forces. That was also the period Governor Hope Uzodinma’s country-home was attacked by IPOB-ESN. These security challenges eventually led to the formation of Southeast Governor’s security outfit named Ebube Agu.
It was then resolved that Nnamdi Kanu must be brought back to Nigeria to face trial; and the task was given to Prof George Obiozor to coordinate with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, who was the de facto Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being that the man was a known impostor from Niger Republic. It was at that point that Prof Obiozor contacted the Kenya IPOB Coordinator his Imo State kinsman, to help in the execution of the plan with mouth-watering amount of money incomparable to what he gains as IPOB Coordinator.
The Coordinator knew that two things can easily be used to get Nnamdi Kanu as bait. These are money and a well-endowed beautiful woman. So he prepared a dud evidence of huge sum of money he collected on behalf of IPOB and which might arouse suspicion if transferred directly to him. He promised his “Maximum Leader” maximum treat on arrival and promised to send him round-trip ticket once they agree on his dates of arrival and departure. Indeed his abductors confessed to the high taste of luxury they caught him with.
That was how Nnamdi Kanu was abducted in a high-class hotel in Nairobi Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria by Abubakar Malami’s special killer-squad. I was fortunate to escape this killer-squad by the whiskers at Federal High Court Asaba in 2017, during my last attendance to court in my suit against Federal Government over Islamization, after my Imo State-born lawyer Kelechi Nnamdi set me up in exchange for the position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), before I went into hiding penultimate my fleeing the country. So the DSS was right when it stated that its officials were not involved in the abduction of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya.
Nnamdi Kanu’s predicament is therefore that of “Dog-Eat-Dog” syndrome among the Igbo of Southeast and, not a matter any President of Nigeria can resolve with executive fiat or by any form of pressure from the gathering of social and political fiends in the form of public protests. Last year saw the Southeast Governor’s Forum demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu. They went further to promise sending a special deputation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to impress on him to release Nnamdi Kanu.
The same year also witnessed the Governor of Anambra State Professor Charles Soludo equally demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu; while the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mrs. Bianca boasted that with her presence in Federal Government, the release of Nnamdi Kanu will be a matter of time. But why has Nnamdi Kanu not been released after such grandiose rhetoric?
The reason is simple. It is the question of who will bell the cat? Nnamdi Kanu is like a political viper which does not spare anyone, even its rescuer. No Governor or individual is ready to bear the risky or face the kind of embarrassment Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe went through after standing surety for Nnamdi Kanu.
On the other hand, Sunday Igbo, like the terrorist Fulani herdsmen and bandits, knew who their enemies were and went after them. Sunday Igboho for example never insulted the Igbo; he never disrespected or disobeyed Yoruba leaders for whatever reason and, he never harassed or slaughtered his own people.
Sunday Igboho knew the murderous Muslim Fulani herdsmen and bandits as the enemy of his people and went after them. He never ordered his followers to kill any Yoruba man for serving in the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police Force or other security agencies. So, wouldn’t Yoruba leaders stand by him in the time of his trials?
On the other hand, Nnamdi Kanu commanded his men to commit unimaginable atrocities not against the real enemies of his people—the Fulani herdsmen and Bandits, but his own Igbo people.
There is no record of IPOB and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) military wing ever killing or kidnapping a single armed Fulani herdsman or Bandit in the Southeast; yet there are copious records of innocent Igbo men and women killed in cold-blood in their Southeast homeland. I need not belabor myself mentioning instances; but it is a matter no morally upright and patriotic Igbo man can easily gloss over for any reason.
More than ninety percent (90%) of Nigerian security personnel slaughtered in the Southeast by IPOB-ESN were Igbo; yet we are told that one of the reasons for the formation of IPOB is to protest assumed marginalization of the Igbo in Federal institutions. If that is one of the objectives, why eliminate the little number the Igbo have in the same Federal institutions?
The God Almighty I serve will not forgive me if I fight against the on-going genocide against Christians in Nigeria and turn around to support Nnamdi Kanu, who committed identical crimes against his own people. As Odogwu of Ibusa (Odogwu-Igbuzo), I swore to the oath of fairness, truth, equity, justice and patriotism in defense of my people through the traditional rite of Isa-Ile (Washing of tongue). So I cannot fight against evil with one hand and at the same time condone evil with the other hand.
His first arrest in Lagos in 2015 was in a hotel room with a woman who probably was used to track him down. While a true freedom fighter must be fearless, he must not exhibit any form of egoistic maniac mentality. He must exhume a high degree of humility guided by principle in fearlessness, relatively upright in the delivery of his gospel of freedom and, exercise a high degree of moral discipline.
Nnamdi Kanu lacks all these qualities, which might be the consequence of his low level education. Most people often make the mistake of equating eloquence with intelligence. They are far apart. The other time he was caught in court shouting down his lawyer, “shut up! You don’t speak when I am speaking!” Of course, his lawyer had to condone such nonsense because of his quest for money without integrity. If I were him, that moment would be the last I will represent him in court. Unfortunately, the same lawyer is currently remanded in Prison custody with the risk of tainting his law profession.
Omoyele Sowole knew all these despicable qualities and abominable activities of Nnamdi Kanu because even his own news media Sahara Reporters has copious reports of such atrocities. But he had to engage in such self-destructive image-defacing “Release Nnamdi Kanu” misadventure for the reasons of money and cheap vainglorious image laundering among the Igbo.
Contracted by some pro-IPOB Igbo elements with huge mouth-watering amount of money to undertake the yeoman job, Omoyele Sowole agreed; but not without equally informing the Federal Government of the impending project. The Federal Government through the Chief Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, seeing the planned protest as an opportunity to downplay the surging case of Genocide against Christians, further counter-contracted him to limit the proposed demonstration to Abuja and within defined streets in Abuja in order to afford them easy control.
Omoyele Sowole subsequently collected money from the Federal Government to execute the same project Nnamdi Kanu’s agents paid him for, thereby playing the role of a devious double-agent. And because he has to stay alive to enjoy the ill-gotten money he was the first to pick race on the sound of teargas canisters. He was not arrested that day, and has not been arrested either till date. What happened to Nnamdi Kanu’s brother Emmanuel Kanu, his lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and other unknown soldiers of IPOB now in remand at Kuje?
Remember my two sayings at the opening paragraph: “O so nwa Oba kua oka, o ga-esokwa taa?” (Will the man who follows the son of the Oba to plant corn equally join him to eat the same corn?); and “Oke solu mgwele daa mmili, okochaa mgwele, o ga-akokwa Oke? (When a rat follows the lizard into the water, when the lizard gets dried up, will the rat equally dry up?)
