Father of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi
Kanu, His Royal Majesty, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, has berated Igbo leaders
for not committing themselves to the struggle for Biafra.
Recall that Kanu was arrested by operatives of the Department of
State Services, DSS, in 2015 in Lagos and has been incarcerated ever
since.
The IPOB leader is currently facing trial before an Abuja Federal
High Court on an 11 count charge bordering on treasonable felony and
terrorism.
Speaking with The Sun, the Afara Ukwu, Ibeku monarch also frowned at
the silence of Igbo leaders over the incarceration of his son.
Stressing that his son was fighting a just cause, the monarch
expressed surprise that Igbo leaders, especially the Abia state
government have abandoned.
The monarch, however, applauded former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu for paying Kanu a visit in Kuje prison.
He said: “When I heard that the former Governor of Abia State, Dr.
Orji Uzor Kalu visited my son in prison in Abuja, I was happy. This
projects him as someone who loves his people and development. He is a
man of the people. The young man (Kalu) equally surprised me when he
came to my palace during the Christmas and New Year break to see me.
“We discussed so many things including moves he wants to make to get
my son, Nnamdi released from prison and solicited my assistance in that
direction. I told him that Nnamdi is strong-willed; that he would rather
die in what he believes in. But all the same, he could go ahead and
discuss with the Federal Government as my son will not have much to say
while still in detention.
“Orji Uzor kalu I know is a man of the people as I said earlier and
he is a go-getter; whatever he’s set to do, that he achieves. Having
said that, if there is anything he knows he can do to get Nnamdi
released from detention, I will support him. Mine is that my son should
be released first and other things can follow, because he cannot be
discussing from inside the prison.
“Apart from Kalu visiting me here in my palace, some white men had
also visited and the first questions they always asked was whether I am
the father of Nnamdi and I would tell them yes. They would also ask me
my mind about the agitation my son is spearheading and I would tell them
there was nothing wrong with that. Some of them, after explaining
things would understand where we are coming from.
“I am surprised that apart from Orji Uzor Kalu, no other Igbo
political leader has visited Nnamdi in prison and nobody is talking. I
wouldn’t know if this could be attributed to fear. Some months ago, you
heard of what happened at Aba where some people holding rally were shot
dead and nobody said anything and this is not good.
“Even in their own reasoning, Nnamdi had not done the wrong thing,
that shouldn’t have stopped them from visiting him and showing him
brotherly love as Kalu did. Igbo leaders have not indeed shown
commitment to the Biafra struggle. I do not know the reason for their
action except that they are afraid of their investment outside Igboland,
which they will not carry to their graves when they die.
“I am also worried to an extent that the Abia State government is
also feeling indifferent about Nnamdi’s problem. As an Abian, one would
have thought that the state government would have come out openly to say
something, not to talk of visiting him in prison, but these things are
not forth coming.”
