Many people had, in the past few days, feared two things: An implosion in the, otherwise, strong-willed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, or a big Crack in its leadership. But it’s Supreme Leader,Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from the custody of the Federal Government of Nigeria where he is, has taken full control of the situation, and pulled it from the brinks. And he warns the IPOB family: No indiscipline will be tolerated, or there will be consequences for, and against, anybody who either incites it, or indulges in it.
Many has hailed the way he handled the simmering, almost, bad situation, as a mark of good leadership on his part. A number of his admirers hailed him as a leader who knows when to pull back and/or put his feet down.
It started gradually. Then, it gained momentum.Crisis of confidence followed. Everybody was suspecting everybody. Nobody was spared, including the detained, but resolute Leader, Mazi Kanu. On the suspicious list too were members of his hardworking Legal team.
They were all accused of compromise. They said they had sold out to the Federal Government; an unkind deep cut, considering that Kanu is under detention. An unkind cut considering that his lead Counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, escaped arrest in his home, but lost his Personal Assistant in a horrendous manner when his, Ejiofor’s house, was raided; an unkind cut, considering how far Kanu’s Special Counsel, the deep Barrister Alloy Ejimakor, has gone to sensitise and draw the attention of the International Community to Kanu’s case, especially, Britain, which citizen Kanu is.
But the mob bayed for blood. It was baying for blood. To them, everybody has become the Biblical Judas Iscariot.
The problem started with what was thought to be an intelligent amendment on the weekly sit-at-home order clamped on the people of the South-east by IPOB.
The organisation had ordered all Igbo to sit-at-home every Monday to protest the continued detention of Kanu on the orders of a Federal High Court Abuja. The detention was a consequence of Kanu’s rearrest in Nairobi Kenya, and, repatriation (rendition, Ejimakor enlightened us from the onset) to Nigeria after he was forced to breach the bail granted him by the Court.
In 2017 while he was enjoying his bail in his father’s palace (his father was the Traditional of their Community, Afara- ukwu) Soldiers stormed it. Kanu and his parents were lucky to escape. But not so, reportedly, some others and a family dog. There were fatalities. The story behind that invasion has not been properly told. It’s all been a jumble. Sadly, Kanu’s parents died in exile.
Kanu was to surface later in Isreal in 2019, and went on to Britain, which citizen he is. From there he continued his struggle for an independent Biafra.
He never stepped into Nigeria until that other day when he was brought back from Kenya as a sole passenger on a private jet.
To pressurise the FG into releasing him, IPOB declared a total sit-at-home order every Monday until he is released.
The first observation was total, and bloody, and expensive. It came at a huge cost. It was also very much criticized by not a few people.
Aside from its socio-economic loss, it cost a generation of Igbo children the opportunity to take the NECO examination along with their counterparts country-wide. The full effect of missing that examination will be felt in future. And then, there was the accompanying bloodshed. Unnecessary loss of lives. Many felt it was like cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
Two days to that Monday, many were relieved when one Kanunta Kanu whose name had not been heard within the IPOB hierarchy, but who was introduced as IPOB leader’s younger brother, issued a statement to the effect that the sit-at-home order had been canceled to enable the Igbo children take their NECO.
Two things worked against it.
One, nobody had heard Kanunta’s name before. He had never issued any statement on behalf of IPOB before. The person the world knows is Emma Powerful, IPOB Spokesman.
No wonder Kanunta’s statement created a crisis of confidence when Powerful issued a counter statement that the sit-at-home order stood. Many felt rivalry has set in.
Anyway, last Monday, the order was officially canceled. But that opened the flood gate of suspicion.
Barr Ejiofor and the legal team were accused, in some quarters of lying using Kanu’s name. Kanu was accused, by some others, of compromise. Ejimakor was accused of no less. A false allegation that stung on all sides.
Ejiofor was the first to issue a strongly-worded statement decrying the allegation against the legal team. Two days ago, he issued another statement after a meeting Kanu, in company with Powerful.
The statement conveyed Kanu’s anger over the allegations against his legal team. He said the order to review the sit-at-home order, and observe it only on the days he would appear in Court, came from him and the leadership of IPOB, and not the Lawyers.
Ejiofor explained that Powerful would issue a statement on their visit to Kanu at his detention centre in Abuja.
Part of Ejiofor’s statement, which was entitled Update read:
“We just concluded today’s routine visit on a very sound note. What made today’s visit unique is that today marks it the first Day Our Client -Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is setting his eyes on his sibling.
“In my company during the Family’s maiden visit to Our Client is Prince Emmanuel Kanu (Fine Boy), the Representative of Our Client’s family.
“Our Client- Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is very strong in spirit.
You will hear the rest from Prince Emmanuel Kanu.
“Our Client- Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was visibly shocked by the unwarranted embarrassment, insults and criticism meted out to his Lawyers by those who should know better.
“Discipline he emphasised is the watchword, which is apparently lacking today.
“If at this point in time people who deliberately choose to be mischief makers, are throwing accusations and insults on his Solicitors, he wonders when they will learn.
“Note for the umpteenth time for those who care to listen, that nothing on the face of this earth will make us compromise or change our ways. We are whiter than white!”
As expected Kanu’s intervention doused the crisis of confidence. And was sealed by a statement by Powerful.
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