The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members, living in Ontario Canada, on Thursday 8th July 2021, stormed the Parliament Hill, Ottawa alongside other IPOB counterparts in Quebec who led #FreeNnamdiKanu protests to the British High Commission and Kenya Embassies.
The protesters amongst other things were agitating the unlawful arrest, detention and dehumanization of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as they demanded the Nigerian government to release him with immediate effect.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria.
It was reported that the IPOB leader, was arrested in Kenya and sent to Nigeria to face trial for treason and other allegations levelled against him by the Nigerian Government.
However, the Kenyan Government had since debunked its complicity in the arrest of the IPOB leader.
Meanwhile, IPOB members in Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec have stormed the British High Commission and Kenya Embassy in solidarity for her leader.
They organized a peaceful protest to channel their grievances over the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and also demanded his immediate release.
The protesters also asked the Nigerian government to stop the marginalization and killings of Igbos in Nigeria and declare IPOB a non-violent and peaceful movement.
One of the Nigerian protesters, Mr. Levi Offornna Onu, stated that “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is being arrested and dehumanized for no justifiable reason”.
He added that “IPOB are peaceful people, that neither carry guns, matchet or any dangerous weapons, because they believe in dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflict”.
According to him, “on no account should anyone compare IPOB, to Boko-Haram, bandits or killer herdsmen” .
He described these groups as not only dangerous, but very deadly.
Also. Mr. Emma Chigbo Awa, an IPOB member in Canada, stressed, during the protest, that Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention was totally unacceptable, absurd, null and void.
He added that the President Buhari-led Federal Government should stop marginalizing the Igbos, and respect the constitution and Kanu’s Fundamental Rights.
Mr. Anike Gideon Okechukwu, who is also an IPOB member in Canada, averred that “our crime as IPOB members/Nigerians-Igbos is because we have refused to be marginalized by the President Buhari-led Federal Government and the Northerners”.
According to him, the continuing detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was against his fundamental rights as spelt out by the Nigeria Constitution, the African and Human Rights Charter and the United Nations Fundamental Rights.
According to him, Nigerian government officials were deliberately holding Mazi Nnamdi Kanu captive, because they were afraid that his relentless push and agitation would eventually give way to a referendum in Nigeria that would result to the Igbos breaking out of the country.
Mr. Okechukwu also called on the United Nations, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Israel, Russia and other world power countries to step in and press the Nigeria government to release the IPOB leader.
Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria had proscribed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist Organization in 2017.
However, the United kingdom, USA, Canada and other developed countries do not reckon the group as terrorist, thereby making it possible for her members to seek refuge in these countries.
Meanwhile, the Police Spokesperson, Frank Mba, has reiterated the Force commitment to apprehend IPOB members, and any person affiliated to the group.
Mba said the group was regarded as an enemy of the state and would be dealt with ruthlessly.
However, IPOB members who spoke at the protests, said they were hopeful that the Federal High Court in Abuja where Kanu was being tried, would give a favourable verdict.
