It is amazing that 45 years after the Biafra-Nigeria civil war, Biafra came back alive ‘big time’ without a gunshot. In this second coming, there were no war fronts. Nobody heard war commentaries from Ikot Ekpene, Owerri, Asaba or Abagana sectors. Soldiers were not told to capture Owerri (Awuri) for ‘double pay’. More important too, no body heard news like Port Harcourt had fallen into the hands of the enemies. However, the sad news is the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) for broadcasting the plight of the Biafrans. No doubt, the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu on October 18, 2015 triggered the upsurge in the agitation for the Republic of Biafra. That shows there is something wrong with the structure of Nigeria and now is time to do right the wrongs that were mercilessly inflicted on the ‘Biafrans’ by some individuals or groups in Nigeria using the deceptive slogan ‘TO KEEP NIGERIA ONE IS A TASK THAT MUST BE DONE’.
As at today, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still held by the Department of Security Services (DSS) for ‘wrongs’, which they have not told the world. The DSS took Nnamdi to a competent court in Nigeria and he was granted bail, yet he is still to be released. Rather than the government coming out to address the issue, some of those who benefited from the ‘wrongs’ meted to Biafrans stepped forward to call protesters miscreants, irresponsible and other unprintable names to cover up their genocidal actions in the past. For a peaceful co-existence in Nigeria, Nnamdi Kanu should be released, as his arrest and detention are unlawful and unconstitutional.
The unfortunate thing for those holding Nnamdi is that they have made him a global Icon for all Indigenous Peoples of the world fighting for freedom. He is now known all over the world for the excellent work he has done to unearth the hidden but unresolved issues of the Nigeria-Biafra war. Today, Biafra is back on the agenda whether Nigeria likes it or not. And if the issue is not resolved now, it’s only a matter of time, Biafra will surely come back to haunt Nigeria until it is resolved in one way or another.
For the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), this is a beautiful time to harvest as more and more people are joining the group. The Nigerian Government should understand that its high-handedness, torture and the killing of unarmed Biafra agitators could set the cities on fire and quicken the dissolution of Nigeria.
Nnamdi Kanu did not just wake up and began the campaign for Biafra. Like other people from the former Eastern Region (Biafra), he saw injustice, marginalisation, poverty and iniquitous distribution of resources and many other ‘wrongs’ visited on his people by successive Nigerian governments since the end of the civil war. That is in part the history, the story and the reason why Biafrans want out. What calls for concern is that the majority of the people agitating for the Republic of Biafra were born after the war? If this situation does not worry the Nigerian government they should continue to detain Nnamdi Kanu. Nigeria should also worry because, unlike the old Biafra, members of IPOB have worked hard and established more than 88 branches all over the world. The arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu is a huge disaster for Nigeria and a recruitment campaign for the Indigenous People of Biafra.
The arrest and incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu is definitely not the solution. It can only exacerbate the issue. Former Presidents of Nigeria knew about Radio Biafra but looked the other way as if it does not exist. However, as soon as President Buhari came into power Biafra became an issue. Nigeria should rethink her policy, attitude toward the former Eastern Region. Even fellow Nigerians see them as Biafrans. These same people they see as Biafrans have worked very hard, done everything possible to be accepted in Nigeria but they remain excluded. That some of them got invited to diner in Abuja or Lagos does not mean inclusion.
The world and other Biafrans are keenly watching and waiting what President Muhammadu Buhari and his government will do with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Biafra is not the problem with Nigeria. The problem of the country is the faulty structure, injustice, iniquitous distribution of resources and the engrained mentality and belief of some people that they alone own Nigeria. Buhari release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu now unconditionally.
source: http://dailytimes.com.ng/biafra-time-right-wrongs/
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