The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has expressed concern about the southeast governors’ silence over the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
According to the group, the silence of Igbo political leaders did not demonstrate that he (Kanu) was their true son, as previously claimed.
In a statement, IPOB’s director of media and publicity, Emma Powerful, said the continued detention of its leader by the Department of State Services (DSS) after he was discharged by the Court of Appeal violated his fundamental human rights.
The statement read:
Following the landmark judgment of October 13, 2022, by the Federal Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja that unequivocally discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Ohamadike of Biafra land of all the trumped up charges brought against him by the Fulani government of Nigeria, the silence from south-east governors and political leadership gives room for concern.
We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are compelled to ask Igbo governors, senators, House of Representative members, ministers, House of Assembly members in every state in Biafraland why the silence over the continued illegal detention of their son, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu despite the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal, has discharged and acquitted him of all the charges brought against him by the Nigerian government?
IPOB has been observing the countenance of Igbo politicians from the moment the Appeal Court ruled in favour of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and wonder whether this silence is as a result of these leaders being cowardly and afraid of the Fulani government or whether they are accomplices to the kidnapping and extraordinary renditioning of their son? If they are afraid of the Fulani cabal who are running the affairs of this country, it means they are cowards and are unworthy to represent our people in every event in Nigeria.
IPOB is asking these questions because our patience is not and will not be infinitely elastic. The continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the DSS notwithstanding the Court of Appeal ruling and the accompanying silence from the south-east political leaders leaves much to be desired. This is exactly the same attitude of silence exhibited by these so-called political, traditional and religious leaders as their sons and daughters are daily abducted and extra-judicially murdered. This attitude must be reversed and there is still a small window of opportunity to change this attitude and be very proactive in the defence of your own.
For the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction has discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Nigerian Government has no moral or legal ground to continue this persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The ruling of the Court of Appeal should embolden the South-East governors and politicians of south-east extraction to demand that the rule of law must be upheld rather than be concerned or afraid of being witch hunted if they stand firm and strong in condemning the utterances and actions of Alhaji Abubakar Malami and the Fulani APC government whose intention it is to subvert the constitution and judicial pronouncement of the Court of Appeal.
Malami and his people can hate Biafrans, especially Ndigbo as they like, but their hatred cannot take the grace of God from us and will never stop justice from prevailing in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Igbo Leaders and stakeholders should stand as men and women with balls and make their stand known to us. This is not the time to remain silent or seat on the fence.