"Kanu Is Irresponsible And Should Be Arrested And Detained" Ijaw Leader And Northern Elders Insist

Edwin Clark, foremost Niger Delta leader and convener of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and 

a group, Northern Parliament, has called for the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Clark said that it was irresponsible of Kanu and his supporters, who were young and ignorant of history, to declare that there would be no election in Anambra State, and thus should be arrested and detained.

He was reacting to the position of IPOB that the November Anambra governorship election would not hold unless the government granted its demand for referendum on the Biafra question.

In an interview the Ijaw leader made extensive comments on Biafra and surrounding issues as follows:

“I think Nigeria is one country, we cannot break up. My advice to those beating the drum of secession is to take it easy. The war of 1967 to 1970 claimed so many lives and property, made some Nigerians to almost become second class citizens in their own country.

“These boys who are going around, and led by Nnamdi Kanu, some of them were not born at that time, and if they were born, they were very little children. I agree that President Buhari’s government has marginalised them.

“Okay. What of former President Jonathan’s government? I think the Igbo played a leading role in former President Jonathan’s government; they had every chance, every opportunity to develop their area. But some of them were selfish. The secretary to the government was an Igbo man.

“At a time, the chief of army staff was an Igbo man; the Igbo occupied very important positions in former President Jonathan’s government, so they couldn’t have said they were marginalised. Rather it was the Yoruba who were crying that they were being marginalised. And towards the end of Jonathan’s government, he decided to give them so many posts because we all belong to one country called Nigeria.

“So, these boys should be told the history of Nigeria from independence to let them know that the Igbo were not marginalised in the past, especially in the First Republic and, in fact, their kinsman, Ironsi, was head of state.

“Rather we the minorities have always cried of marginalisation and not the three major ethnic groups until 1966 when the coup of the young majors changed the face of Nigeria and the Igbo suffered in the war that followed, but the era is gone.

“And they won’t say that during Shagari’s time in the second republic the Igbo suffered because an Igbo man, Dr Alex Ekwueme, was the vice president. If the Igbo are marginalised, they are being marginalised by the present administration and I am one of those who support them in their cries against marginalisation, but secession is not the answer.

“There is nowhere that youths will take over the administration of a place and it is very irresponsible for Kanu to say there will be no election in Anambra state in November. He should be arrested and detained. There is a limit to their agitation and I am happy that the president-general of Ohaneze Ndigbo has condemned them.”

Also a group, Northern Parliament has warned that the flouting of bail conditions by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu is threatening the security of the country

The group stated this at a press conference held in Kaduna on Sunday, titled; ‘Our National Security Threatened’.

According to the text of the briefing which was jointly signed by its Speaker, Dr. Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu; National Secretary, Comrade Yakubu Karau Luka and National Publicity Sec. Kabir Haruna Alfa, “the continuous unlawful movement of Nnamdi Kanu is perceived to be a threat capable of distracting government attention. The Nigerian government and securities agencies should be warned not to allow Nnamdi Kanu to criss-cross from his Biafra territory to any part of northern Nigeria,” it said.

It explained that the Northern Parliament is not against the secession of the Igbos from Nigeria, but called for a democratic approach towards the actualisation of Biafra.

The group further lamented that In recent times, the Nigerian narrative has come under severe scrutiny.

“Nigeria faces an existential threat. The security architecture of the northern region has been variously undermined. Consequently, the persistent increase of insecurity in northern Nigeria cannot be over emphasised. Having observed carefully the continuous increase of kidnapping, armed robbery and consistent communal clashes between Fulani headsmen/farmers in various communities in the north. We find it imperrative to add our voices of caution to the federal government.

“It is regrettable to state that immediately after the completion of the renovations at the Abuja international airport, the business of kidnapping and armed robbery has taken a new dimession in the entire northern extraction. The Nigerian securities agencies have become completely inefficient, making it almost impossible for easy access of our roads. This has badly affected our economic growth and has widened the inequality gap in the north,” it said.

The Northern Parliament noted that the northern traditional and religious leaders, stake holders and most especially, the northern governors, have failed woefully for being unable to bring lasting solutions to the lingering problems of insecurity, education, unemployment and peaceful coexistence in the north.

“In light of the above mentioned, we make the following declarations:

1. Federal government should strictly ensure the compliance of the bail conditions of Nnamdi Kanu.

2. We advise strongly that the 2014 national conference report should not be implemented, rather, a more credible and acceptable National conference be organized.

3. We demand that General TY Danjuma, Prof Ango Abdullahi, Senator JKN Waku, to spear head a northern elders/leaders summit on lasting peace, unity and reconciliation of the north.

4. We advice that our religious leaders preach peace rather than fanning the embers of discord.

5. We demand that Northern governors forum set up an all inclusive committee towards reviving the moribund companies.

6. The acting President’s directives to the service chiefs to move to the northeast to curb the insurgency is highly commendable.

7. We appeal to the executive governor of Kaduna state to as a matter of importance, reopen all the tertiary institutions in southern Kaduna,” it concluded.

Many observers have recently commented that the IPOB leader has severally flouted the bail conditions granted him by the courts as condition for his temporary freedom.

His group has also been observed to be having confrontations with Nigeria’s security agencies, in most cases, while Kanu moves around during visits to different areas of the south east.