An activist lawyer, Madubuachi Idam, on Saturday, said the agitation for Biafra is beyond Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister, Simon Ekpa.
Idam said the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra is
a spirit that resonates in every Igbo man.
Idam said a lot of people in the Southeast might not be
comfortable with Kanu and Ekpa’s style of agitation.
Kanu has been locked up by the Department of State Services,
DSS, since June 2021 when he was arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria.
While in detention, insecurity in the South-east has escalated
with gunmen on the prowl.
Commenting on the agitation, Idam said: “The agitation for
Biafra has always been beyond Kanu and Simon Ekpa.
“The agitation for the emancipation of Biafra has always been
a spirit in every Igbo man.
“It does not resonate within Kanu and Ekpa alone, it’s a
spirit that lives in every Igbo man. The example of this is that since they had
Kanu in detention, has the agitation stopped? The answer is no.
“I can tell you that not every Biafran is comfortable with
the style of these two persons. So many people might have reservations for
their styles, though we believe that the emancipation of the Biafran people is
necessary through a peaceful approach.
“The agitation for the emancipation of Biafra is bigger than
any individual, Nigerian government might not be comfortable with Kanu’s style
but he does not deserve the continued detention because it has not served any
security purpose to the government.
“It’s only his release that will be beneficial to the
government because he has demonstrated that he’s not comfortable with the
killings, he has written letters and done a video to preach peace at every
opportunity he has since his trial.
“The agitation has always been beyond these two and I must
tell you the agitation can’t die with them.”
The Abuja-based constitutional lawyer charged the Nigerian
government to ensure an inclusive government.
He noted that Biafra agitation was due to marginalization of
the Southeast.
Idam said: “The Nigerian state must ensure an inclusive
government because some of us agitation are clamouring for that.
“The Igbo are saying that they are marginalized. So, why
will the state not look at their yearning, knowing that if it include these set
of people the agitation will stop.”
“I must encourage the Nigerian state to toe the line of
negotiation and stop heating the polity through the continued detention of
Kanu.
“It must toe the line of mediation and negotiation to
resolve this unwarranted trial of Kanu,” he added.
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