Buhari Ignited Biafra Agitation – Nnamdi Kanu’s Brother

Younger brother of detained di­rector of Radio Biafra and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Prince Emmanuel Kanu has called on the Federal Government to dialogue with the broth­er instead of the present antagonistic posture.

Nnamdi was arrested last month by men of the Depart­ment of State Services (DSS) and has since been in deten­tion, after slamming him with charges bordering on treason and terrorism.

Speaking in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Prince Em­manuel said that the Federal Government should dialogue with Nnamdi since the cause he is fighting is just.

“Nnamdi Kanu’s self deter­mination cause is just. Instead of its present stance, the Fed­eral Government should sit down and dialogue with him as the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the director of Radio Biafra, so that we can find a balance. We want neighbours not enemies.

“Biafra is an ideology and you and I know the truth. It’s in us; you can’t erase it wheth­er you like it or no. So it’s im­possible to ask him to stop the agitation for self determina­tion”, Emmanuel said.

Asked why the agita­tion peaked now that Presi­dent Mohammadu Buhari, a Northerner is in power, Prince Emmanuel said the agitation had nothing to do with where the incumbent comes from.

He said: “No it’s not be­cause he (Buhari) is from the north, (former President Goodluck) Jonathan played smart while he was in office. He allowed it the way it was, he never touched or men­tioned it. But Buhari came and took it all up. He thought it was an issue of crushing and maiming people when it’s not what it is. Biafra is beyond that, we don’t want money or the oil. The ultimate goal of Biafra is freedom.

Prince Emmanuel, who expressed delight that he saw his elder brother in high spirits when he appeared in court last week, was optimistic that he would be released on Tuesday this week when he will appear in court again.

He said he hinged his op­timism on the fact that if the case was looked at objective­ly, there was no charge against him, adding that the only weapon he had was the truth and he did not kill anyone, or incited people to kill.

He lambasted the DSS for disobeying a valid court order, stressing that it tells that there is no rule of law in the country.

“The law is supposed to be a place for the common man, but as it stands today; from what we have seen and witnessed so far, there is no rule of law. Same thing is ap­plicable to Dasuki. That’s the same way they are treating my brother. There is no law anymore in existence. How can someone be granted bail and until now, has not been released. It’s unheard of.

He said that the spirit of activism is in the family. “I remember in 1993 when the then Governor of Abia State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu in­creased school fees from N100 to N150, I single hand­edly fought very hard to see that it never came through and at the end of the day, the money was reversed. So it’s in us, we believe in justice and equity.”

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