Angry about moves to revoke granted Nnamdi Kanu’s bail and possibly re-arrest him, a pan-Igbo group, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), has called on President Muhhammadu Buhari to leave him alone and concentrate on creating an enabling environment for the various nationalities to come together and decide the way forward for the country.
In a statement signed by the group’s President, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, and Secretary, Prof. Nath Aniekwu, reminded President Buhari that Kanu, who is leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is a prisoner of conscience.
“Nigeria is now swarming with many people like him.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this type of attitude of creating two kinds of citizens; those above the law (Arewa youths) and others, those who will be blackmailed by punishment of the law, even when they commit no offence (IPOB), is one of the factors which fuel most of the agitations all over the country.
“Mr. President, Nigeria has never been as divided as this; except during the civil war (1967-70).
“You need, therefore, to rethink your strategy in order to avert unnecessary tension in this polity.
“Nigeria’s unity is negotiable, that’s all that Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are pointing at. The situation, therefore, needs redressing.
“Nobody is a slave in this country. If there is no law obliterating divorce in Nigeria, it is ironical to think that by mere wishful thinking Nigeria will remain as it were a model of abusive marriage”.
“In their statement on June 27th, the Arewa youths had given the Igbo ultimatum to leave Northern Nigeria latest by October 1, 2017.
“Many people regarded their action as treasonable and a threat of genocide. Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai and Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris declared that they should be arrested.
“They were not arrested. Rather, what we heard were statements from some Arewa leaders supporting their action.
“One such leader is Prof. Ango Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; consequently, the Arewa youths continued in their belligerent threats and mocked the arrest orders.
“President Buhari, who returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after 104 days in Britain, where he received treatment for undisclosed ailment, in his very short and pointed speech, did not address the quit notice to Ndigbo by Arewa youths; nor did he condemn the virulent Hausa hate songs being circulated as a mass mobilization tool for the looming genocide against Ndigbo.
“Rather, president Buhari, in his ‘maiden’ address declared war on IPOB and Boko Haram, thereby equating the two as terrorist organisations.
“It was as if the president was brought back to declare war on IPOB, Kanu and Ndi-Igbo…”
In a related development, the IPOB has condemned the attack on President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo by Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), for rising up in defence of the truth.
The group called for the arrest of the Director General of Department Security Service (DSS), Lawal Daura and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Shehu Malami, for flagrant and serial disobedience to court orders, instead of plotting Nnamdi’s re-arrest.
In IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful’s reaction to a statement credited to the ACF chairman, Chief Paul Unongo, slammed him for daring to attack Ohanaeze Ndigbo for condemning the re-arrest of its leader Kanu.
“The idea of wanting to use baseless, trumped-up charges, to justify the extra-judicial detention of Kanu wull be resisted by all men and women of good conscience.
“If anyone deserves to be arrested, it is those in the leadership of this country,” he said.
