•As Nnamdi Kanu urges ‘Biafrans’ to ignore order

By Luminous Jannamike & Steve Oko

Abuja—IGBO Elders Consultative Forum, under the leadership of former Anambra governor, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has urged southeast residents to reject the five-day sit-at-home declared by Finland-based Simon Ekpa, a protege of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They described Ekpa’s draconian order as the height of insensitivity to the plight of the people; insisting that it must never be observed nor allowed to stand.  

Ezeife, who briefed journalists in Abuja yesterday night, said the Forum met, discussed and made critical analysis of some national issues and questions that have far reaching consequences on the peace, unity, stability and corporate existence of Nigeria in general, and Igbo land in particular including EKpa’s sit-at –home order in the South East.

According to him: “The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has always believed that some faceless individuals in government and other unpatriotic elements who do not wish ndi Igbo well, and have been working hard with evil collaborators to truncate the scheduled 2023 general elections in the South East are behind the purported sit-at-home order  in the zone. 

“The scheduled February, 2023 Presidential election will be historic in Nigeria because we are optimistic that patriotic and progressive Nigerians will elect Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party as the next President of this country in a free, fair and credible election; hence  evil and wicked elements must never be allowed to use the purported sit-at-home order to truncate the next year general election.”

In the same vein, Secretary of the Forum, Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, maintained that it was the firm belief of Igbo elders that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is central to the peace process initiatives in the South East, as well as the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in the zone next year. 

“The moment Kanu is released; no person will hide under IPOB and similar organizations to impose any draconian sit-at-home order on our people. We still ask the Federal Government to obey the unanimous and laudable ruling of the Court of Appeal and release our son Mr Nnamdi Kanu. The Court of Appeal had in a unanimous and historic judgment cleared  Kanu of the remaining 7 of the original 15 count-terrorism charges against him. Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court, FCT, Abuja had earlier quashed 8 of the original 15 charges against  Kanu. The honorable thing  for the Federal Government to do now is to release  Kanu, and stop this  appeal at the Supreme Court.”

Speaking also, the Ezeigbo of Abuja, HRH Igwe (Dr.) Ibe Nwosu,said  that now IPOB that  has publicly condemned and distanced its members from Ekpa’s sit-at-home order, the state governors as the chief security officers of the various states in the South East must rise up to their responsibility of ensuring effective protection of lives and property of the citizenry, as well as freedom of movement of people and goods in the zone.  

Nnamdi Kanu urges ‘Biafrans’ to ignore order

Meantime, the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has again, asked residents of South East and all “Biafrans” to ignore the purported five-day order being circulated in a viral video.

Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who spoke exclusively with Vanguard yesterday after visiting the IPOB Leader at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services, DSS, where he is currently detained, said that his brother told him that he never issued any such orders.

According to him, promoters of “such senseless and anti-people order are the real enemies of Biafra.

“My brother said: ‘At no time  did I order anybody or group to issue such sensitive orders.

“He directed all IPOB members to ignore anybody calling for a 5-day sit-at-home.

“My brother said that our people should know that that those who issue such orders are the real enemies of Biafra and must be dealt with.

“He equally told me that Biafrans should know that he is in detention for  their sake and not to compound their problems.”

The IPOB Leader, therefore, urged people in the Biafran region to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of molestations.

A viral video had surfaced three days ago, showing a gun with a background voice ordering people in Biafra land to remain indoors from Friday December 9 to December 14.

The video which issued death threats to anyone that violates the five-day sit-at-home has been greeted with wide condemnation.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has renounced the masterminds of  the video and urged Ndigbo to discountenance the evil video.