President, South-East govs to meet over protests
Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra yesterday called on the Federal Government to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. This is just as the five South-East governors are expected to present a list of demands from the region to President Muhammadu Buhari at a date yet to be fixed.
The governors are scheduled to meet in Enugu today over the recent protests in the South-East states, In a statement issued by MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, in Abakaliki, the group alleged that Kanu had been murdered by security agents under the instruction of the presidency. It did not, however, provide evidence to back up its claim.
“The ugly information we are receiving from Abuja is not healthy. We are still waiting till Monday when he is expected to be arraigned. Nigeria should be extremely careful about Nnamdi Kanu. This is because the worst mistake Nigeria ever made on Boko Haram was to kill its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, and today everybody is seeing the result.
“If the Nigerian government extra-judicially kills Nnamdi Kanu, Nigeria will experience the worst volcanic rebellion and aggression,” he said. Madu noted that the group had been peaceful and this should not been seen as a sign of weakness.
“We love a non-violent approach and we wish to maintain it but Nigeria is pushing us to the wall We call on Ohaneze Ndigbo, South-East governors, Igbo leaders of thought, South-East South-South Professionals, Igbo National Assembly members, traditional/religious leaders to caution the Nigerian Presidency.
We demand that Nnamdi Kanu must appear in court on Monday alive or dead,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Madu said in a separate telephone interview with one of our correspondents that today’s summit of Igbo leaders in Enugu would amount to a waste of time if pro-Biafra groups are not invited.
“How would they know and understand the exact reasons behind the agitations of these groups? How would they expect us to accept and trust them to take decisions on our behalf on issues as sensitive as these? Whatever they think they are doing in Enugu is a joke and a waste of time without the input of pro-Biafra groups,” he stated.
On the possible outcome of the meeting, he said it was easy to guess that the leaders would merely gather and articulate the infrastructural deficits, perceived injustices and marginalisation of the past and present them to the Federal Government for redress.
But Madu quickly added, “Whatever they have chosen to do and whatever they may eventually arrive at without the core stakeholders in this matter, if they fail to demand the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, they would have wasted their time and demeaned their integrity.
For the avoidance of doubt, the pro-Biafra groups and even unaligned Igbo youths from across the country have vowed to remain on the streets until Nnamdi Kanu is released.”
Sunday Telegraph learnt that the governors would compile a list of demands for onward delivery to the President. They are expected to plead with the pro- Biafra groups to suspend their protests and allow mediation in the matter by the governors and eminent Igbos.
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