Call For Nnamdi Kanu's Release: Why Many Igbo Elites And Leaders Don't Support Sowore

 

If there is one man whose story constantly makes the headlines in Nigeria, it is Nnamdi Kanu, the self styled leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB). He was rearrested after jumping bail while answering case of treasonable felony. Following his release on bail on health grounds by an Abuja Federal High Court in April 2017, Kanu later disappeared from Nigeria after the Nigerian Army invaded his family home in Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia in October 2017. He then proceeded to anger the federal government by making incendiary broadcasts promoting his pet project of independence for Biafra. He also formed an armed vigilante group, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, which he said was strictly for the defence of the South East and South-South against armed pastoralist invaders.

 

Kanu, whose original offence as charged was treasonable felony, may face more grievous charges over the attacks on security agents and institutions in the East by armed elements suspected to be acting under his command.

 

Kanu was hailed by many for his courage. A lot of Igbos could relate with his separatist agenda because they also feel aggrieved at the federal government’s persistent marginalization of the South-East and its people. They desire to be recognized in the scheme of things in the country. They see no reason why none of their kinsmen is considered good enough to occupy some of the sensitive and lucrative positions in government. More than anything else, they wonder if anyone from the South-East would ever be good enough to be president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These and many more are some of the reasons why the Nnamdi Kanu movement flourished and grew exponentially especially among the youths.

The latest news about Nnamdi Kanu, in the last few days, has been the renewed calls for his release. Igbo youths, and perhaps a handful of Igbo personalities led by popular activist and former presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, were at the vanguard of the recent call for his release. Sowore, on Monday in Abuja, had made good his promise to lead the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest all the way to Aso Rock. Though warned by the Police that he and other protesters would not be granted such license, they proceeded anyway. And expectedly, the security agencies disrupted the peaceful protest with tear gas and live bullets fired into the air. In the end, Sowore, along with Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kannu and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor and 10 others were all arrested and taken to Kuje prison. They were later released on bail but Sowore was rearrested immeditely and taken into Police custody.  

But in the midst of this saga, many have continued to ask the following questions: where are the prominent Igbo leaders? What is their stand in all of these? Why are they not throwing their weight behind their son, Nnamdi Kanu?

While a handful of Igbos have been vociferous over the arrest of their illustrious son, many Igbo leaders and elites have been inexplicably silent. Some have openly dissociated themselves from Nnamdi Kanu’s call for secession and so, it’s no surprise that many failed to back the aborted #FreeNnamdiKanuNow potest convened by Sowore. And many have been wondering why. Going by our findings, one of the reasons for this seeming lack of empathy for Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention by some Igbo leaders and elites is that they disagree with his approach. They simply cannot understand why, under his watch, the ESN has slain hundreds of Igbo men and women, the very people they claim they want to liberate,

One of those who disagree with his methods is Anambra state Governor Charles Soludo. He has insisted that the South-East’s progress is tied to its unity with Nigeria. The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor said while he supports dialogue and peaceful agitation, he does not share Kanu’s secessionist vision for the Igbo nation.

“We’ve made it very clear that if you are protesting or agitating for anything, you are holding yourself down by killing your own people under the pretext of Monday’s sit-at-home,” Soludo said.

.Soludo disclosed that he had previously urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other South-East leaders to engage Kanu in dialogue when he is released, stressing that no single individual holds a monopoly on ideas about the region’s future.

“I said, why don’t they tell Nnamdi Kanu to come and sit with everybody else, because nobody has a greater right than the other? We are all Igbos, and we are all entitled to our views,” he said.

The likes of the Minister for Works, Dave Umahi, Governor of Abia state, Alex Otti and others have expressed views similar to Soludo’s regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s fight for Biafra. They have all distanced themselves from his gitations. 

Perhaps the biggest fear of the Igbos is what would become of their investments should they support and declare the state of Biafra with Nnamdi Kanu. The Igbos are by nature the most widely traveled Nigerians with massive investments scattered all over the Nigerian landscape and beyond. They are major stakeholders in the economy of more than half of the states in Nigeria. From up north to the south and down to the West, the Igbos are everywhere running massive businesse investments and contributing their own quota to the growth of the Nigerian economy. Now, the question some of these top Igbo business men have been asking themselves is, what happens to them and their businesses and investments if Nnamdi Kanu succeeds with his agitation for Biafra? Are they ready to just stand by and watch all of their investments go down the drain? It doesn’t look to be an attractive proposition.

The fear of being witch-hunted by government is also another reason why prominent Igbo leaders have been silent on the Nnamdi Kanu saga. The perception of the government is that once you align with the aspirations of Nnamdi Kanu or any other ‘enemy of the state’, you have also automatically become an enemy of the state too. And that could spell dire consequences for you. You could have your business overrun by the government and all of your investments could go up in smokes in just a matter of seconds.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why it appears Yoruba leaders have been silent on the agitation issue championed by Sunday Igboho. But even at that, apart from the late Pa Adebanjo led Afenifere group who have openly associated with Igboho, several others have declined any form of association with his aspirations. It must be said though that even the late Pa Adebanjo led Afenifere group have not been very clear as to where they stand on the issue of secession and Yoruba nation.

No one in his right senses looks forward to going to war. Many Igbo leaders cannot see how the aspirations of Biafra would materialize without a war breaking out or, at the very least a minimal bloodshed. And of course, the majority of Igbos will do anything to avoid going on another collision with the Nigerian military. The sordid memories of the last civil war that left millions of Igbos slaughtered years ago still haunt the elders who were already born and were very nearly consumed by the war back then. It is not one experience they would love to go through a second time in their lifetime.

And, as for Sowore himself, some Igbos insist he is not fighting for Kanu's release because he cares about him or the Igbos, but because he gets a lot of foreign grants for his activism and fighting for Kanu's is one of the ways he can get these grants sitting pretty in his bank account. 

 

Nnamdi Kanu’s trial continues. The man appears to have lost his usual air of bravado. He looked a man subdued in court. Could it be that he also feels let down by his kinsmen for their lack of support and solidarity? Has he seen the handwriting on the wall and fears he may be up against a mountain he may never be able to climb? Hopefully, with time, all of these questions will be answered…