Between a monstrous Kanu, hideous state, and rogue judiciary

By UGO ONUOHA “So by Kanu or through Kanu the Igbo nation over time has become a wasteland of sorts. The violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders by the IPOB since 2017 has devastated every sector of the south east – businesses, investments, education, governance, among others. Bloodletting which used to be an abomination among Ndigbo has become commonplace. There had even been stories of cannibalism among the Igbo “efulefu” or renegades.” To many Nigerians including some Igbo, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the devil’s incarnate. He probably is. But not so fast. To some other Nigerians, he is the major problem of this country. Currently. To the Igbo who are outside the cult of Kanu, the putative  leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB], he is the sole reason for the loss of their loved ones, the ruination of their businesses in the south east, the pervasive insecurity in the Igbo nation, and the despoliation of a once peaceful and thriving region. Kanu, and Kanu alone is the reason why the Igbo, arguably the most populous indigenous nation in Nigeria, have been cut adrift from the mainstream of Nigeria’s national politics since after the cameo appearance of the former Nigerian vice president [1979-1983], the late Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, an architect and a lawyer. Everything evil afflicting Ala Igbo, and to some extent Nigeria, since the emergence of Kanu on the scene as an agitator and the inspiration of a separatist or self determination movement for the Igbo under the umbrella of Biafra have been laid at his feet. And this is perhaps rightly so. However, not many of us will readily admit that before the advent of the menace of Kanu, there was a disconnect in Igbo land between leaders and followers. There was a palpable leadership vacuum. And as they say, nature abhors vacuum. There was a misalignment between the interests of the Igbo leadership and the aspirations of the younger generation. Nnamdi Kanu who in reality was not the founder of IPOB moved in to fill the vacuum. He seized the organisation and then deployed Radio Biafra to push his megalomaniac agenda of attempting to become the Supreme Leader of the Igbo, a people who are otherwise urbane, sophisticated, discerning and republican. He deployed his oratorical prowess and prescience of mind to sway the gullible and the simple-minded. Some uninformed people believed that his worshippers were only young people. No. They cut across a wide spectrum of the Igbo – young, old, literate, semi-literate, university teachers, students, artisans, and diasporans. Just name it. RELATED STORIES Pardons, Clemency and the Death of Moral Clarity The majority of Kanu’s apostles verily believed that the declaration of the new republic of Biafra was imminent. Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had declared a Republic of Biafra in 1967 which became defunct in 1970. Kanu’s grossly uninformed followers kept boasting about the countries and world powers that had already recognised the emergent phantom nation, including the prospective issuance of a proclamation by the United Nations [UN] birthing Biafra sooner than the skeptics could imagine. In a real, though misguided sense, there was a revolution of rising expectations amongst his supporters, and freedom for Biafrans from the suffocating Nigeria which was derogatively referred to as a zoo. So whatever Kanu said to the maddening crowd was the gospel truth. It was not unusual then to see charlatans and some otherwise respectable and knowledgeable persons fawning and prostrating flat on the ground to greet Kanu in public places. And he reveled in the obsequious idiocy. A full blown cult was formed. Many Igbo dared not criticise or even advise the Supreme Leader. He had a short fuse for those who held contrary views about the charade called a liberation struggle. Even speaking in whispers against the Leader was a dangerous pastime and venture because Kanu had eyes and ears in many communities in the south east. Every dissenter became circumspect while speaking even in small gatherings in Igbo land. The reach of Kanu and his henchmen was frighteningly pervasive. And the fear of speaking against the man was the beginning of wisdom. You could be killed or maimed at the minimum. You could lose family members and livelihoods. In short, there was no safe place. Echoes of ‘Iya Shukudi’ in Trade Fair Demolitions From that point the so-called agitation to found the new Biafra could only go one way- down the hill and down a slippery slope. Kanu created or better still promoted an inchoate organisation he was incapable of managing because, ab initio, he was incapable of managing himself. He mistook delusion for success. He strutted around with swagger and an unrivalled air of self-importance. He became disdainful of everybody. He thought himself above reproach. He became the legendary or the proverbial “eze onye agwalam” of Ala Igbo. He was abusive to everybody, with justification in some cases. He travelled in and out of Nigeria believing that his dual nationality [he was also British] will provide a sufficient cover or immunity for him. Apparently, Kanu was convinced that Britain, the West and the world would be in his corner and on the side of Biafra if anything untoward happened to him or his struggle. He may be a smart youngster but he was a novice on realpolitik. Every country’s involvement or intervention in external situations are primarily driven by national interests not emotions. For many countries, a bird in hand [Nigeria] is worth more than a thousand birds [Biafra] in the sky. So by Kanu or through Kanu the Igbo nation over time has become a wasteland of sorts. The violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders by the IPOB since 2017 has devastated every sector of the south east – businesses, investments, education, governance, among others. Bloodletting which used to be an abomination among Ndigbo has become commonplace. There had even been stories of cannibalism among the Igbo “efulefu” or renegades. “Aru mere”. At the peak of the insecurity and up till now, some

Kanu, Besigye and contours of Kenya’s rogue-state

KENYA, the East African country noted for its leisure and tourism, including the globally acknowledged safari, is fast carving a niche for itself. That niche is likely to earn the country a notoriety that could prove deleterious to all other aspects of its national life. If the noticeable conduct of the Kenyan state has been limited to one administration and one political party, it could have just passed as the bad act of one regime or one political party. But within three short years two different presidents of the country had acted in ways that should be of concern to the rest of Africa, the African Union, and indeed the world. Kenya, in fact its capital Nairobi, is becoming a deadly place for visiting opposition figures from other countries in Africa. It’s fast becoming a ground for the capture, abduction, kidnapping, imprisonment, drugging, and facilitating the extraordinary rendition of vocal opponents of authoritarian regimes elsewhere on the continent. The first in such unsavoury conduct in recent memory was in 2021. Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of that country’s independence president Jomo Kenyatta, was the president in 2021. In 2014  he had escaped trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands on charges of inciting bloody riots over election disputes. Uhuru was the fourth president of the country from 2013 to 2022. Ahead of the 2022 election, he worked against the eventual winner William Ruto who belonged to the same political party as him, and who was in fact the deputy president. Uhuru had been everything anybody could be in the politics and governance of his country including being minister of finance, and deputy prime minister. But apart from allegations of inciting bloody election riots during which scores of Kenyans died, and the humiliating charges before an international tribunal, was his regime’s facilitation of the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to Nigeria in 2021. Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group campaigning for the self-determination and independence of the Igbo in the south east of Nigeria. At the time of his abduction in Kenya, Kanu was an unrelenting and unsparing critic of the regime of Nigeria’s immediate past president, Maj.- Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari turned out to be an unmitigated disaster and an affliction on the country during the eight years of his presidency. Because of the criminal conduct of Uhuru Kenyatta’s rogue regime, Nnamdi Kanu has remained in prison in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital territory since 2021. An attempt to set Kanu up on February 10, for what he (Kanu) and some other literate commentators described as a kangaroo trial failed. In open court Kanu insisted that the judge had recused herself from the case and so no longer had jurisdiction to hear the case. He also alleged that the prosecutors were motivated by the humongous monetary inducements from the state rather than by the need for justice. Obviously frustrated by the ding dong Justice Binta Nyako adjourned the case sine die and returned Kanu to prison. By the way, Kanu has been in and out of prison for the better part of the last one decade. He had earlier been arrested at the Lagos airport on his return from London, dumped in prison for about two years, arraigned before Nyako and granted bail. He was adjudged to have jumped bail when he escaped a murderous and bloody attack on his father’s home in Umuahia in Abia state by a combined team of state security agents. He fled abroad for his dear life. A similar scenario played out again in the same Nairobi, Kenya in November last year. This time it happened under a different president, Mr. William Ruto, who took over the presidency after a hotly contested election. Dr. Kizza Besigye is the main opposition leader in Uganda, Kenya’s neighbours. For years he has been a thorn in the flesh of a one time freedom fighter and now an eternal ruler of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. Effectively, Museveni has been the ruler of Uganda since 1986 with the sacking of the regimes of Milton Obote and Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada. He consolidated power during the 2000s and 2010s with the removal of constitutional term limits in 2005 which allowed him to run for president indefinitely. Three years ago Museveni won his sixth term as president in an election marred by the usual massive rigging and the intimidation of prominent opposition figures, and social media shutdowns. His regime is notorious for alleged human rights abuses, torture, arbitrary arrests, extra judicial killings, corruption and nepotism. It is interesting and instructive that this same Kizza Besigye who has become the punching bag of Museveni was his (Museveni’s) personal physician from 1980 to 1982 while Museveni was a rebel leader. About 45 years ago Besigye worked his utmost to keep Museveni in good health. And alive. Today, and for the past 20 years or so, Museveni appears determined to kill Dr. Besigye for consistently contesting for the presidency against him. As we wrote earlier Besigye has become the symbol of opposition to the life presidency of Museveni. And what a price he has been paying for opposing the ‘saviour’ of Uganda. Like Kanu, Besigye, himself a serial presidential candidate, was arrested in November 2024 in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda, and held in a military prison. He was said to be in Kenya for a book launch. Then he was charged with firearms and security offences in a military tribunal. The charges carry the death penalty. However, because the trial has been highly controversial and closely watched by audiences beyond Uganda and Kenya from where he was plucked, the case was later transferred to a civilian court, where he is currently facing charges of treason. As with Kanu’s case in Nigeria, Besigye’s trial keeps being adjourned. On February 11, he reportedly embarked on a hunger strike. His health is presently said to be in a poor state. His situation was so

Nnamdi Kanu and the trial of Justice Binta Nyako & others

An opinion piece condemning Nigeria’s failure to prioritize citizens’ security and welfare, citing deadly federal roads, poor infrastructure, elite indifference, and policy choices under successive governments, with sharp criticism of the Tinubu administration during the Christmas travel season.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in prison for the better part of the last 10 years is the face of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He was not the founder. He was at the head of the internal rebellion and the subsequent insurgency that ousted the promoters of IPOB and its handmaiden, the once ubiquitous new Radio Biafra. This radio station stirs deep love, and equally deep hatred and loathing from various sections of a deeply divided Nigeria. Among Igbo youngsters, and they constitute the majority of that nation’s population, as in other population segments in Africa, Radio Biafra was a must listen to. It enjoyed a global reach and so a global followership. At the height of its prowling prowess it was not unusual to hear the majority of passengers inside inter-state commercial buses from the East insisting on the vehicle driver tuning into Radio Biafra for the duration of the trip. I am a witness on occasions when I had a need to travel by that means. On the flip side, haters of Radio Biafra were legion and equally filled with unspeakable bile. The contents of its programming were venomous, hate-filled, irreverent, trenchant and pugilistic. Kanu was a propagandist, and he knew it. Whenever he was on duty and behind the console, the world stopped among youngsters of the Igbo nation wherever they may be in the universe. Nigeria’s former president and affliction, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, and his co-travelers in that ancient regime could have feigned to be unfazed by the name-calling and two-fisted and relentless attacks on them by Kanu and Radio Biafra, but the truth was that they were unsettled and irritated. At one point, Buhari’s attorney general filed a suit in court against Kanu which key charge was insulting the president. Some lawyers contended then that there was no such crime in our books. Just like Buhari before him, the regime of Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is using Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a pawn in their political chessboard. The intention is to use him for quid pro quo ahead of the 2027 election. Tinubu obviously does not understand the make up of a typical Igbo person. Using Kanu as a bargaining chip will not win him any significant support in the Igbo nation when the time comes. He may have a better chance of making inroads in the hearts and minds of the Igbo if he immediately directed his attorney general and minister of justice to file a nolle prosequi as it concerns the torture and trial of Kanu. So in a span of one decade Kanu has managed to be the leader of a separatist group, a serial defendant in court cases, eternal accused person, head of a terrorist organisation, sponsor of a violent militia, a detainee, a prisoner, an escapee from a violent and bloody invasion of his father’s compound near Umuahia in Abia state, a man determined by a superior court of having no case to answer, a fugitive from the law, among other labels. The current status of Nnamdi Kanu is that of a man serving prison term for an indeterminate period or sine die without being formally convicted by a court of law for any known crime. Early this month a federal high court in Abuja had ordered that he should be hauled before the court on Monday, February 10. If there was a reason for the sudden arraignment, it was not in the public domain. If it was stated then yours sincerely missed it. The curious thing was that the judge before whom Kanu would appear was his ‘customer’. In local parlance a customer is someone you see often and conduct business with. The name of this federal high court judge is Binta Fatimat Remawa Nyako. She is the wife of a retired Navy General, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako. In a sense Justice Nyako, and the accused/defendant Kanu are customers after Kanu had gotten a prior trial judge recused from his lingering and obviously interminable ‘trial’. Properly speaking, Nnamdi Kanu is not facing prosecution; he’s being persecuted. He is a prisoner of conscience. Even his persecutors know this as an unvarnished truth. As it turned out February 10 was for the resumption of the trial of Kanu on terrorism and other related trumped up charges against him by the federal government. But it wasn’t to be. Justice Nyako was supposed to be seated on her throne. In reality she sat on the throne. The government lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo was supposed to sit in the front row because of his status as a senior advocate of Nigeria. And he was there. Kanu, the accused/defendant, was as expected in the dock. Ideally, the contestations over fine legal points should be between the prosecuting and defence teams. The judge moderates and holds court, pun intended. It was not to be. It turned out to be a circus and a spectacle soon after the so-called trial got underway. For anyone not used to the Nigerian court system it would have been easy to conclude that the judge and the prosecutor were the persons on trial, the persons in the dock. Kanu did not fight shy in taking over his own defence from his lawyers. He vociferously made accusations, insinuations and inferences that were in no way complimentary to the judge and the lead prosecutor. He alluded to bias, ethical misconduct, abuse of law, corruption, and outright monetary inducements in hundreds of millions of Naira. PLEASE SEE: Education: name, policy not Nigeria’s problem There were viral videos on the altercations in court on that fateful, really disgraceful day. A national newspaper later captured what transpired after first reporting that the suit had been adjourned indefinitely: Earlier in January Kanu (had) filed a petition against Justice Nyako before the national judicial council wherein he accused her of judicial misconduct over his trial. And days later, the IPOB leader called for his case to be transferred to the south east if no judge at

Kanu Requests New Judge, Opposes Resumption of Trial

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, remains firm in his objection to the resumption of his trial, citing a lack of trust in Justice Binta Nyako.  He insisted that the judge should step aside, despite the Federal Government’s push for proceedings to continue under her oversight. The case has faced multiple twists since Kanu’s re-arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021. Initially handled by Justice Nyako since 2015, the trial saw her step down in September 2024 after Kanu challenged her impartiality.  However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court reassigned the case back to her, stating her long-standing familiarity with it.  Kanu’s legal team contends that Justice Nyako’s decision to recuse herself still stands, making the Federal Government’s push for trial resumption improper.  Meanwhile, government lawyers argue that her recusal was not formalized by the required legal process and demand a trial date.   READ ALSO: Tinubu Visits Enugu for Project Commissioning Today The prolonged legal battle, involving allegations of treason and terrorism, has kept Kanu in custody under the Department of State Services, with repeated bail applications denied.  The dispute over the judge’s role further delays proceedings, leaving the case in a state of uncertainty.

IPOB Counsel says Controversial December Declaration a Hoax

IPOB Counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor calls for peace and unity in the Southeast, urging the region to ignore or consider controversial December Biafra Republic declaration as a hoax. Ejiofor’s statement comes on the heels of the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a figurehead of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, who has been vocal about the secessionist agenda. Addressing the growing unrest in the region, Ejiofor asserted that the claims surrounding the December declaration would ultimately prove baseless and ineffective.  He emphasized that time would reveal the truth about these so-called plans for Biafra’s independence, predicting that December would pass without any significant incident. Ejiofor, who has long criticized those behind the Biafra movement’s radical claims, pointed to previous instances where exaggerated reports about military support, including fighter jets and warships, were used to rally support for the cause.  He warned that such tactics are nothing but attempts at self-promotion by individuals driven by deceit and fraud. ALSO READ: NIGERIA’S ECONOMY SEE ROBUST GROWTH IN Q3, 2024 The IPOB lawyer also reflected on the wider political landscape, acknowledging the marginalization of the Igbo people within Nigeria’s political framework.  However, he strongly denounced the use of violence, fraud, and criminal actions as means to secure freedom, emphasizing that true liberation can only be achieved through nonviolent, legitimate efforts. In his statement, Ejiofor urged the people of the Southeast to focus on restoring peace in the region, suggesting that it was time for reflection and reconciliation.  He also stressed the importance of preserving Igbo heritage while acknowledging past wrongs and seeking to address them in a way that honors the community’s values. Ejiofor concluded by calling for a collective effort to restore calm and focus on sustainable progress rather than being swayed by individuals pushing divisive and unrealistic ideals.

FG Monitors Ekpa’s Trial in Finland

The Nigerian government is closely watching the legal proceedings against Simon Ekpa, the Nigerian-Finnish leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), following his arrest in Finland.  Ekpa was taken into custody on November 21, 2024, after Finnish authorities charged him with inciting terrorism and promoting violence through social media. The Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme ordered his detention based on the severity of the charges, which allege that Ekpa’s online activities have fueled violence in Nigeria’s South-East region.  PLEASE READ: HOW NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT PRESSURED FINNISH AUTHORITIES TO ARREST SIMON EKPA – Official In a statement, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest and reiterated its commitment to tracking the case as it unfolds, noting the importance of addressing the actions of transnational groups like IPOB that pose a threat to Nigeria’s security. Previously, the Nigerian government had urged Finland to take action against Ekpa’s activities.  As the legal proceedings continue, officials have pledged to monitor the situation and ensure that the matter is dealt with in accordance with Finnish law.

Appeal Court Postpones IPOB Hearing to October 31

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has moved the hearing for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) appeal to October 31. This appeal challenges the group’s proscription as a terrorist organization by the Federal Government. The three-judge panel postponed the session to allow both sides time to submit and exchange all necessary documents. IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently detained, has applied to join the appeal as an interested party. The appeal targets the 2017 ruling by the late Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, which banned IPOB’s activities across Nigeria. The proscription followed an ex-parte motion filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on behalf of the Federal Government. In its appeal, IPOB argued that the court’s ruling was unjust and based on incorrect information. The group insisted that it operates within the law and that its actions are in line with its constitutional rights to self-determination. It claims that its protests have been peaceful, involving non-violent demonstrations such as marches with placards. IPOB also highlighted the lack of evidence showing it has engaged in any form of violence. The group further criticized the original ruling, alleging that the AGF failed to provide accurate information during the 2017 court session, which led to a biased judgment. IPOB’s appeal called for the appellate court to dismiss the proscription order, arguing that the high court misinterpreted its activities and failed to acknowledge its peaceful nature. The court instructed all parties involved to ensure that all legal processes are filed and exchanged before the scheduled hearing date.

IPOB Ban Independence Day Celebration Activities In South-East States

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has banned any form of Independence Day celebration activities in the entire South-East region of Nigeria on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. In a statement issued on Monday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB asked people of the South-East at home and in the diaspora to avoid any Nigeria’s Independence celebration globally. Powerful said “IPOB calls on Biafrans (Southeasterners) globally to go about their normal business because we are not part of Nigeria and have nothing to do with their British flag independence of 1960. “We are aware that some prominent Igbo men and women played pivotal roles in securing the flag of independence that Nigeria celebrates annually on every October 1st, however, such independence has taken more blood of Ndigbo to maintain than any other ethnic group in Nigeria. “Biafrans have decided to reject the bloody flag of independence of Nigeria and work for the restoration of a true united and prosperous Independent State of Biafra. “Therefore, every Biafran should reject this Nigerian forced unity as we look forward to celebrating the Biafra independence soon. “Ndigbo must adhere to this clarion call to stop every activity concerning Nigeria’s independence tomorrow. There shall be no flying of Nigerian flags in Biafra territory. There shall be no independence activity for students in Biafraland. “Everyone should go about their businesses or use that Day for family quality time and rest at home for those who may choose not to go for their work and business.” He warned, “IPOB is not joking with the restoration of Biafra freedom and sovereignty. Do not make yourself an enemy of the struggle by participating in Nigeria flag independence celebrations tomorrow. “Parents and guardians must not allow their children to go for any Nigerian independence activities tomorrow. We are monitoring everywhere in Biafraland. As an Igbo Parent, do not allow your children to be sacrificed for a country that considers them less of a human.”

Terrorism Charges: Nnamdi Kanu Knows Fate Dec 15

Terrorism Charges: Nnamdi Kanu Knows Fate Dec 15

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has officially set December 15, 2023, as the date for delivering its judgment in the highly anticipated case involving the federal government of Nigeria and the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. This announcement was made by the apex court on Thursday, following the completion of final submissions by the legal teams representing both the federal government and Nnamdi Kanu.  Recall that the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on October 13, 2022, ordered the release of Kanu from detention, while also dismissing a 15-count terrorism charge brought against him by the FG. The three-member panel unanimously reached this decision, stating that the Nigerian government had violated established laws by forcibly bringing Kanu from Kenya for trial, thus stripping the trial court of jurisdiction.  Following this verdict, the FG, dissatisfied with the ruling, appealed to the Supreme Court and obtained a suspension of the judgement’s execution pending the appeal’s determination.