By Henry Igwe Ogbudimkpa
It is criminally offensive for any right thinking human to advice or advocate for Nnamdi Kanu to show his face now to prove that he’s a hero or kind of superman. Kanu is well smarter than you think. It is either you do not know history or you’re plain daft! I will tell you why.
We’ve seen great men go on a retreat when things blow hot and come back stronger. It has been since the inception of the world and so shall it be.
In the scriptures, we saw how Moses fled from Egypt after Pharaoh came for his life having killed an Egyptian that fought with an Israelite. He fled to Middian, settled down in Reuel’s house, got married to his daughter Ziporah and gave birth to a son he called Gershom meaning “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”. He came back after Pharaoh died and rescued the Israelites out from bondage.
Absalom fleed from his father David when he heard that he would be killed.
It is also on record that the mighty warrior King David fled from his son too. He fled from Jerusalem and planned to regain his throne. We also know that KING David himself did not take part in the counterattack, having been persuaded by his generals to remain behind.
I can go on and on.
Here in Nigeria, we are quite familiar with such.
El Rufai pretended to be a student and escaped when Yaradua wanted his head, today he’s a Governor and an icon to the Northerners.
Bola Tinubu wore Iro Ati Baba and fled from Abacha through cotonou, today he’s the JAGABAN of Yorubas and worshiped like a god.
We also heard of Kayode fayemi who dressed like a fisherman and fled through idi iroko to continue his radio Kudirat attack outside the country.
But,
You want Nnamdi Kanu to stay behind with his cutlass and bottles to fight an armoured car and soldiers armed to the brim just to prove that he is immortal. You try!
It is also on record that few days ago following the killings of Biafra agitators in the South east by Operation python dance whose sole aim is to destroy and exterminate the Igbos from the surface of the earth, US constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein said that ‘Nigeria has become the most dangerous place for Christians in the world right now’. What does that entail? It means that the world Is taking note.
EU also warned Nigeria that IPOB is not a terrorist group. What does it show? Ok!
Nigeria should even be thankful to kanu who did the wise thing by staying away from that compound. I’m sure if he drops, Nigeria will go into a full blown war by now which will suprisingly backfire for this government. This government is just careless and reckless. You’re shameless fighting a man without weapons and bragging about it. We should be happy that IPOB is a peaceful group. And as such has not been armed yet.
Mandela had a military wing and used violence to fight Apartheid. They planted bombs at strategic government houses and even bombed electric supply of the whites. They even composed a song which goes ‘Shoot the boer’. In 1964 during his trial, Mandela insisted on using violence as a tool. He was offered release several times including renouncing violence but he refused.
But Mandela is your hero while Kanu is a terrorist. Clap for yourself.
Hunting kanu will do Nigeria no good. They should dialogue with him and find peaceful means to calm the situation. Self determination is the sacred right of every citizen and freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria. IPOB is a legal group and as such free to exercise their civil rights to agitate. In every ramifications, Kanu will defeat Nigeria hands down.
This fight won’t help Nigeria rather It will bring the needed global sympathy kanu yearns for which will only help his cause. UN submit is in few days and I’m sure Biafra will be discussed. In same UN submit few years ago, it is on record that President Buhari called for self determination of Palestine and western Sahara, so turning around to shoot and kill your citizens for merely exercising their constitutional rights for self determination is quite sad, shameful, hypocritical and heartless from President Buhari.
In a nutshell, those who live today live to fight tomorrow.
May diplomacy prevail. Shalom!
By Henry Igwe Ogbudimkpa
For Abia media team.
