The Father of detained Biafran activist, Nnamdi Kanu, His Royal Majesty, Eze Israel Kanu, has denied reports that his detained son has apologised to President Mohammadu Buhari for allegedly referring to him as a terrorist.
Also, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, dismissed the same report, saying that their leader had at no time apologised to President Buhari.
Similarly, Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has described as completely false, the calculated and systematic attempt by agents of Federal Government to discredit IPOB and MASSOB with the claim that Kanu has apologised over his comments against some Nigerians.
MASSOB leader, Mr. Uchenna Madu, in a statement, said, the news in the media that Nnamdi Kanu had apologised to Buhari was a complete falsehood and a calculated and systematic attempt by agents of the Federal Government to discredit, disorganize and frustrate the agitation for actualization of aBiafran State.
Eze Kanu said his son’s alleged apology was the handiwork of the enemies of the struggles for Biafran emancipation, pointing out that his son had never regretted his actions in the cause liberating his marginalized people.
According to the monarch, who spoke with newsmen in Umuahia, Abia State, his son could not have apologised to anybody since he was fighting a just cause and has not violated any law to warrant any apologies to anybody.
Fabrications
Eze Kanu said, however, that he was not surprised at such fabrications, and maintained that he would never advise his son to give up his fight for a sovereign State of Biafra since it was the wishes of the people.
He reinforced his unflinching support for his son, who he noted was championing a just cause. He advised leaders to stop trying to project his son in bad light through the internet, and accused some media houses of collaborating with the Federal Government to portray his son in a bad light and also frustrate the agitation for independent Biafra.
He appealed to President Buhari to free his son, insisting that his son has done nothing to warrant his unlawful detention even against the judgments of courts.
IPOB in a statement, yesterday in Umuahia through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, dismissed the media report as “a blatant lie and cheap propaganda by its sponsors to create the wrong impression that Kanu is backing out of the Biafran project.”
IPOB accused the Federal Government of planting the said report to dampen the morale of Kanu’s followers and other Biafran agitators.
Tissue of lies
“It is an insult to the entire Biafran Republic for anyone to expect any apology from Kanu over his activities towards facilitating Biafra’s autonomy. The purported report that Kanu had apologised to Buhari over Biafra is not only a tissue of lies but a lame attempt by the enemies of Biafra to cause disaffection among the agitators.
“This latest trick is nothing but part of the grand design by the Federal Government to blackmail our leader and weaken the confidence of IPOB members in him.
“We are not surprised at this concocted trash because government is already intimidated by Kanu’s rising popularity and following among the good people of Biafra. Kanu will rather prefer to die in detention than apologise to anybody over his efforts to actualize self-determination for the oppressed people of Biafra,” it added.
Also, IPOB National Coordinator, Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe, dismissed the publication, describing same as “the machinations of the Department of State Service, DSS, to save its face having been disgraced by the courts with granting of Kanu bail.
“The publication was totally false and should be ignored by the public. No amount of intimidation, harassment, torture, killings, arrest and blackmail can make Kanu apologise for anything. Nothing will ever make us to stop the agitation for the actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra.
“DSS is not sincere, if they have respect for the constitution of Nigeria, they would have released Kanu as directed by the courts, instead, they are looking for new charges to jail him, but they will fail again, as they have discovered that they will not make any progress in their quest to jail Kanu. They are now looking for soft-landing to chicken out of the case with the claim that Kanu is apologising, a claim that does not hold water.”
IPOB urged media to beware of the false claims by DSS, saying that “Kanu is not disturbed in any way over his long incarceration, his spirit is very high and he will be received like a hero he is, any day they are tired of holding him and decides to release him.
“Kanu is in detention for us, we are here for him, DSS should stop embarrassing itself with the false information they are churning out to the public. If they are honest in what they are claiming about Kanu’s apology, they should publish the copy of the said apology as an advert in the newspapers so that the world can see. If they say they culled it from the statement he wrote in DSS detention, how then did it become an apology to people.”
Madu added: “The agitation for the actualization of Biafra has gained international prominence and sympathy even before Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and detention, and his current detention has further strengthened the agitation, so this latest move and campaign of calumny by enemies and oppressors of Biafrans is a sign that they are jittery, frustrated and are afraid of the fast rising and global acceptance of Biafrans struggle for actualization of state of Biafra.
A true Biafran
“MASSOB and IPOB shall never be discouraged, frustrated, disorganized, dislocated or relent on the non-violent Biafran actualization because of this false statement credited to Nnamdi Kanu. Mazi Kanu as a true Biafran can never compromise the integrity, confidence and trust of Biafra freedom fighters no matter the condition, subjection or oppression by DSS and Nigerian government.
“This Nigerian Government latest move to discredit IPOB and MASSOB has propelled us to redouble our efforts and strategies on Biafra agitation, we shall intensify our non-violence approach as MASSOB and IPOB march ahead for Biafra actualization.”
Also, human rights activist and Archdeacon of Oyi Anglican Archdeaconry in Anambra State, Venerable Joseph Nweke has advised President Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu without further delay.
He said Kanu’s continued detention due to disobedience to court orders could be likened to the Biblical Pharoah, who refused to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt and also the Biblical St. John, the Apostle, who could not be killed by the enemies, even after they threw him into hot oil.
Wrath of God
Venerable Nweke, who spoke at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, during a church service to mark St. John the Apostles Day, specifically called on Buhari not to harden his heart to avoid attracting the wrath of God like Nebuccadnezzar did and was turned into a beast as a punishment.
Nweke, who is also the Director of Civil and Political Affairs, Anambra State chapter, said he had gradually followed the charges preferred against Kanu logically and came to a conclusion that he did not do anything to warrant his continued detention against all the orders of various courts of competent jurisdiction.
He contended that even if Kanu had a case to answer in the law courts, he should first be released from the detention while his trial in court continued.
“This is a voice of reason. I foresee a situation where God visited His anger on Buhari if he failed to release Kanu from the detention. So, I am advising Mr. President to release him in order to escape that wrath,” he said. Vanguard
