…FG, S-East govs, Igbo leaders foiled plans for Kanu to abandon Biafra —Founder Igbo Youth Movement
By Chioma Gabriel & Emeka Mamah
THE leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has said that he was granted conditional bail to be “caged” along with the secessionist group.
Nnamdi Kanu
Kanu is facing trial for alleged treason and was granted bail in April 2017 by a federal high court sitting in Abuja. But he skipped bail after flouting all the conditions given to him by the court, including a ban on public speaking.
The IPOB leader subsequently went into hiding only to reappear in Israel about two weeks ago.
Speaking during a broadcast on Radio Biafra, Kanu insisted that the solution to the Biafra agitation will be conducting a referendum.
FG gave me bail to cage me, IPOB, says Kanu
“Their problem is Nnamdi Kanu and the solution to their problem is referendum. They gave me conditional bail to cage me and IPOB but I refused,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman.
“We are not going to vote because we’re too intelligent for that nonsense. I am not interested in the politics of Biafrans, all I want for my people is freedom.”
Kanu said the Igbo have been voting for years, adding that “absolutely nothing” has come out of it.
“It is either Biafra or we die trying to get Biafra,” he said.
IPOB was banned and proscribed during a military raid in Umuahia, Abia State, which came on the heels of a dialogue between Kanu and south-east leaders.
Kanu blames region’s leaders for the travails of IPOB
“It was Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South-East governors that stopped the Federal Government dialogue with IPOB. For that, the ban on Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands till tomorrow,” Powerful quoted him as saying.
Igbo leaders not against my nomination — Peter Obi
“Anywhere or anytime Ohanaeze Ndigbo gathers for anything in Biafra land, it should be disrupted. Being an IPOB (member) is a very unique privilege.”
According to Kanu, “I don’t know if UK is among the attack on me. I will go to London first and find out. I am not IPOB. I do the will of IPOB. The people is IPOB and IPOB is the people. They invited and asked me to drop my quest for Biafra and I refused. I told them, all we want is Biafra and there is no going back. The South East governors and politicians then obliged Aso Rock to attack and kill me.”
FG, S-East govs, Igbo leaders foiled plans for Kanu to abandon Biafra —Uko, IYM founder
Meanwhile, founder of Igbo Youth Movement, IYM, and deputy secretary of Igbo Leaders of Thought, Evangelist Ugochukwu Uko, has blamed both the Federal Government, South East governors and Igbo leaders over the collapse of negotiations with the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to renounce his agitation for peace in the country.
Uko spoke against the backdrop of the broadcast by Kanu on Radio Biafra, stating his side his own side of the matter on the issue, yesterday.
Failed dialogue between FG, Kanu
His words: “Between June and September 2017, several messages passed through me to Nnamdi Kanu from persons and authorities who may not wish to be mentioned publicly.
“Kernel of the message was: What would it take to quit the agitation to dismember Nigeria (and embrace peace.)
“Several other very distinguished and eminent persons aside government also mounted a lot of pressure on Kanu, along the same line.
“Prominent among these, included two Archbishops, a highly revered constitutional lawyer, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth and several traditional rulers.
“After several meetings, Nnamdi Kanu finally caved in, with a proviso, that other leaders of his organisation, IPOB must also buy into it and escort him to the final meeting where official agreement would be sealed. He said the same thing when we met with the South East governors on 30th August 2017, in the presence of Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN.
Kanu’s demands
What are those things?
“That Nigeria should be reconstructed without delay and revert to 1963 constitution; regional autonomy, true fiscal federalism, devolution of power.
“A new people’s constitution, affirmed at a referendum with a clause for referendum; Immediate reopening of Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri seaport; Immediate expansion of the Enugu International airport; Immediate release of all political detainees, etc.
All these points and quite a few other issues were duly communicated to the authorities. I was personally elated and hopeful of positive response.
“Next thing we saw was military assault codenamed python dance and the rest as they say is history.”
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