THE Indigenous People of Biafra has threatened to declare a month sit-at-home protest in ‘Biafraland’ if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu is not brought to court on October 21.
The Media and Publicity Secretary of the secessionist group, Emma Powerful, made this known on Wednesday in a statement made available to our correspondent in Awka, Anambra State.
He said IPOB got from a reliable source that the Department of State Services would not bring Kanu to court on October 21 as a ploy to continue to incarcerate him.
He said, “The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra has been drawn to the plot by Nigeria government and her DSS in Abuja not to produce our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to court on October 21, 2021, the date he is due to appear in court to start his case.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has again perfected plans not to bring him to court on that day. Their wicked plan is to perpetually keep him behind bars without trial to see if they can demoralise him and Biafrans, but they are late.
He added, “If the Federal Government refuses to bring him to court in his next court appearance on October 21, 2021, the entire Biafra land will be on total lockdown for one month.
“The Federal Government will know that they cannot take us for granted any more. Our peaceful disposition as a people should not be misconstrued as weakness.
“Nigeria cannot incarcerate our leader illegally and expect things to be normal again. If by October 21, Kanu is not brought to court, Nigeria will know that Kanu commands the unflinching loyalty of over 60 million Biafrans home and in Diaspora.”
The IPOB publicist further said, “They are busy granting amnesty to terrorists and bandits killing their soldiers and citizens but keeping peaceful agitators in perpetual detention.
“Their plan is to silence agitations for freedom as championed by Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho so that the Fulani from across Africa will overrun Nigeria. They can’t conquer Biafra land as they have conquered Hausa and other indigenous tribes in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation; Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has described as unnecessary the plan by IPOB to lock down the South-East, adding that it will inflict more injuries on the people of the region.
Ohanaeze said to bring Nnamdi Kanu out from detention was a task the leaders of the South-East must achieve, adding that other means to bring him out other than the court process was being considered.
The organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, said he didn’t believe it was IPOB as couched by Kanu that issued the threat.
He said, “I am aware that since Nnamdi Kanu went in, we have cacophony of voices as representing Nnamdi Kanu. We have two to three denominations of IPOB now, but the one that appeals to people now is the one that is representing Nnamdi Kanu fully. So, I don’t think the one representing Nnamdi Kanu is the one issuing the threat.
“I have to thank members of the National Assembly and other interest groups in Igbo land who are working together to make sure that they use other methods to bring Nnamdi Kanu out. That we must do, to bring out Nnamdi Kanu out; yes, it must be done, but then to inflict injury on our people is not necessary.”
Don’t be afraid, go about your businesses, police tell South-East
Reacting to IPOB’s threat, the Nigeria Police, Zone 9 headquarters, Umuahia, said it had put measures in place to ensure peace and order in the zone.
Accordingly, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Kingsley Iredibia, expressed his conviction that the court in Abuja would make good its words, hence there would be no need for people to panic after the date.
“But if for any reason it didn’t hold, we will maintain peace,” he said, even as he advised the general public in the zone not to entertain any fear, “but go about their normal duties”.
