Nnamdi Kanu In Good Health, Care – Orji Kalu

By Gideon Njoku

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, is not only in good health, he is in good care.

This was revealed by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Monday. Kalu, who was a two-time Governor of Abia State visited the IPOB leader on Saturday at the Headquarters of the Department of State Services, DSS, where an Abuja Federal High Court ordered that he be kept in custody.

Kalu’s disclosure runs contrary to that of Kanu’s Counsels who, two weeks ago, said he was neither being cared for, nor in good health. They said he was in solitary confinement and had had no change of clothes since his re-arrest and detention.

However, in a photograph of him and Senator Kalu taken during the visit, Nnamdi Kanu had a change  in clothes, not the Fendi he wore during his arrest, and his  appearance in Court.

In a statement on the visit which he personally signed, Senator Kalu admitted that Mazi Kanu has what he described as an “insane” followership of people, and asked him to be mindful of the effect his actions and utterances would have on his large followership.

He said his visit to Kanu, and his discussions with him were brotherly, and that even though both of them have different ideologies, he would continue to offer him advice as a brother.

Senator Kanu said he has always been close to the Kanu family, being the person who appointed Nnamdi Kanu’s now late father a Traditional Ruler when he was Abia State Governor.

Following is the full text of Senator Kalu’s statement:

“This afternoon, I visited my brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody, Abuja. I met him in good health and care, and we discussed as ‘Umunne’ ( brothers).

“In 2001 when I was Governor, I made his father Eze Isreal Okwu Kanu Traditional Ruler, and since then, the family has been close to me.

“I understand that Nnamdi has an insane amount of people rooting for him back home, and I encouraged him to consider the consequences of certain actions and utterances for the sake of the same people.

“Even though my ideology and his ideology are totally different, God has made us brothers and we can’t run away from each other.

“I owe him and Nigerians good counselling, whether he and his family listen to me or not, I will continue counselling him as I have always done in the past. What we need most is a peaceful and secured society.”

It is believed that Kalu’s visit to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is part of deliberate efforts to secure the release of the IPOB leader through political means instead of through legal means.

Weeks back, the South-east Caucus of the National Assembly had resolved to meet with the President and ask for a political resolution to Kanu’s trial in Court.

A couple of weeks ago, some Igbo leaders, led by 93 year old Amaechi Mbazulike, had visited President Muhammadu Buhari to appeal to him for Kanu’s release. Buhari had promised to look into their request, even though he told them it was a difficult one.

The IPOB leader is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on issues bordering on alleged treasonable felony, murder and terrorism in the Court of the Hon. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.