I, alongside other well-meaning Nigerians, and numerous others outside Nigeria had called for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. One does not need to be a member of IPOB and or a supporter of Mazi Simon Ekpa to see the injustice meted out to Nnamdi Kanu and indeed, the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria. The 2023 presidential election and its outcome was the climax of marginalization of the race that brought independence to Nigeria.
I had personally written numerously on the issue of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; I had also sought legal advice to compel the Imo State House of Assembly to pass a Bill calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; I had, in the same vein published many newspaper articles, calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, all to no avail. However, many Heads of state of Nigeria had said that the January 1966 coup was never an Igbo coup and that the civil war was aimed at clipping the wings of the soaring Igbos to stop African development (we all know the role Britain played in supplying lethal weapons for Nigeria to crush the Igbos). The irony of it all was that Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was to be the beneficiary of the 1966 coup turned around to betray the Igbos by accepting a federal government appointment as the Minister of Finance. He Awolowo reportedly advised the then Head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, personally supervised and implemented the blockage of food and medical equipment to the East. That led to the untimely death of millions of Igbo children, including my baby-brother Gabriel Egbujor who died at the age of two years due to lack of medication for diarrhoea.
Awolowo and his group peddled these lies against the Igbos and was unrepentant until his death. Now, that the former military President, Ibrahim Babangida has included that in his book, all Yoruba-led newspapers carried false publications and propaganda against the Igbos because they (Yoruba) happily occupied the public offices vacated by the Igbos in Nigeria to enrich themselves and impoverish the latter. The blood of our innocent brothers, fathers, grandparents and uncles must not go in vain; they cried to their death, hence in 1970, Colonel Onwuatuegwu refused to surrender and died for what he believed in. Onwuatuegwu knew that justice was on his side, and time would vindicate the just!
However, most Nigerians have heard Ibrahim Babangida repeating that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup! Can the Nigerian government, and indeed, all Nigerians rise up now to condemn the injustice and the marginalisation of the Igbos which Mazi Nnamdi Kanu rose up to defend? Igbos have been patient enough, and this is a warning to the governors of the East, including the Ohaneze Ndigbo to rise up now and go to Abuja, and resolve not to return without Mazi Nnamdi Kanu! Igbo leaders had complained about the one-day sit at home, and I tell you now, the one-day would be turned into one-week sit at home if you ignore this call to go to Abuja and return with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu! Take this seriously as one does not need to be a member of IPOB to defend his people! Igbos are emotionally wounded, and would damn the consequences if the call for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is continuously ignored!
There is also the need to stop harassing Mazi Simon Ekpa because more than 75% of Igbos support him. He is standing in for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as the seat of lead-agitator for the Igbos must not remain vacant! Nigeria must restore the Igbos to their original position, reconcile with them, compensate them, and return all their properties in Port harcourt and their money that was confiscated and withheld in Nigerian banks. We will not rest until this injustice is reversed! Nnamdi Kanu is just one person in Igboland; there are more than a thousand Igbos who are willing to take his position. Nigeria cannot kill all Igbos at the same time. The likes of Muhammadu Buhari would only kill a few. Make peace with the Igbos now or the agitation for Biafra will continue until all the above stated demands are met. Nigerians must know this and acknowledge it now that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa put together would be considered gentlemen and childlike when a serious-minded Igbo man or woman would rise up to avenge the death, injustice and marginalisation of his or her father, grandfather or uncle! Nigeria must reconcile with the Igbos now! To start with, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu if you do not want the one-day sit at home to be turned into one-week sit at home! Join the call, “Justice for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”.
