The Federal Government lately initiated a displace to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu afterwards he was granted bail past times an Abuja Federal High Court. Meanwhile, Kanu inwards an exclusive interview amongst OKEY SAMPSON vowed to resist the arrest, insisting that Nigeria would dismiss if the Federal Government displace to re-arrest him. He also spoke on other issues as they relate to the agitation.
You’ve toured the territory called Biafra since you lot came out of detention, what is your impression nigh what you lot take away maintain seen so far?
I’ve non completed the tour as a affair of fact. What I take away maintain seen so far is much enthusiasm. I take away maintain seen hope, the rekindling of hope as well as I take away maintain seen the burning wishing for genuine alter as well as the telephone phone for liberty which is just what nosotros are doing as well as pursuing. There is no visiting dignitary, Head of State, political or religious leader that has been able to command the type of crowd that come upwards out anywhere I see or whatsoever town I become to. It has never been replicated or gear upwards as a precedence e'er before. All the crowd that came out to welcome me were unprecedented; they came out inwards their historical numbers to witness the gospel that I preached. I don’t pay whatsoever of them. In fact, those people are the ones who are responsible for the running of IPOB as well as to brand things happen. If I were to see Lagos, it volition locomote the same, If were to become to Kano, it volition locomote the same thing. People volition come upwards out to run across me because I preach the truth.
What has been the message all this while?
The message is that nosotros IPOB members must remain resolute, disciplined as well as focused inwards all nosotros are doing. We are non going to relent; the telephone phone for Biafra is our ain interpretation of the principles of self-determination.That’s just what nosotros are doing.
There are reports that you’ve reneged on your telephone phone for the boycott of the Anambra election. Could this locomote true?
I gave a spoken communication inwards Aba, Abia State on Lord's Day as well as I made it absolutely clear that the boycott stays. We must boycott election inwards Anambra State.It is our civic responsibleness to practice so as well as that’s what nosotros are going to practice – full as well as absolute boycott, to allow the whole world empathize the strength of IPOB on the ground, inwards Anambra State.
You’ve gone circular as well as your people are happy, but to another people, you lot are over-stepping your bounds past times flouting your bail conditions. What’s your reaction?
Are you lot talking nigh an illegal as well as unconstitutional bail condition? Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bail status designed to emasculate as well as basically homecoming IPOB impotent? Does anyone seriously hollo upwards I’m going to stand upwards for IPOB to locomote rendered desolate? I can’t allow that to happen, I take away maintain non violated whatsoever laws unknown to the Nigerian judicial establishment. I take away maintain non committed whatsoever offence; no offense whatsoever. I said no crime. It is a violation of my correct to inquire me non to speak; to inquire me non to locomote inwards a congregation of non to a greater extent than than 10 people, an absolute violation of articles enshrined inwards the constitution that I await all as well as sundry to locomote rising upwards inwards defence forcefulness of, non trying to justify the erosion of my primal human rights to speak, to locomote heard as well as to associate.
President Muhammadu Buhari was the 1 who broke the laws, he disobeyed the right away courtroom monastic enjoin to release me unconditionally, non once, but twice. Honourable Shuaibu of Wuse Magistrate Court granted me bail, Buhari did non release me. Hon Justice Ademola granted me unconditional bail, Buhari as well as his cousin, Lawal Daura refused to award that courtroom order. They are the ones who should locomote detained for flagrant disobedience to courtroom orders. I want the northern Arewa irredentists to telephone phone for the arrest of Buhari as well as Daura for flouting courtroom monastic enjoin afterwards courtroom order, bespeak for my release. It smacks of hypocrisy as well as absolute cowardice that people who could non rising upwards inwards defence forcefulness of the law when a courtroom made a judicial pronouncement are at nowadays clamouring for my arrest because they believe it is slow to practice so. Before now, Nnamdi Kanu is Igbo, he is a Biafran as well as tin locomote arrested as well as zero volition laissez passer on off but that would non locomote anymore, it would no longer happen.
Recently Arewa youths order ed the Igbo inwards the North to teach out as well as zero happened to them. The same Arewa youths are calling for your re-arrest as well as the Federal Government is making moves towards that. How practice you lot reconcile this?
They are the ones inwards power. They believe that Fulani owns Nigeria as well as people must empathize this. They conquered Hausa people as well as Hausa helped them to conquer other people, everybody is beingness terrified past times the Fulani. Everybody is scared of them; but I’m Nnamdi Kanu, I’m non scared of them.
Are you lot non afraid that you lot could locomote re-arrested as the Federal Government has begun that move?
I don’t care! Quote me verbatim. If I’m re-arrested, this province volition burn, I assure you. From where that fossil oil coin they depend on, they tin no longer take away maintain access to it. I assure them that. This is non empty threat.We’re IPOB, nosotros don’t abandon our own.
I know you lot take away maintain a boy whom you lot take away maintain non gear upwards your eyes on since he was born, because of agitation. Don’t you lot experience for this boy; his futurity if something untoward happens to him?
I volition sacrifice anything including my menage unit of measurement to ensure that Biafra is restored. Any obstruction on my way volition locomote obliterated. I’m non bespeak for Sokoto; I’m non bespeak for Kaduna, or Borno, I said this really terra firma where my progenitors raised us; the terra firma of our ancestors; of over 5, 000 years old, this terra firma must locomote free, absolutely free, I assure you lot of that. The way nosotros were earlier the whiteman came; had the white human non come, I would take away maintain no human relationship amongst Sokoto, non whatsoever. The whiteman is non God, only God tin practice a nation, Lord Luguard is non God, only God tin practice a nation. I tin tell you lot the twenty-four hr menstruation Nigeria was created fifty-fifty till the exact minute as well as hour, but you lot can’t tell me when Biafra was created. It came as a result of organic interaction of cultures as well as value systems as well as traditions fussed into 1 to brand Biafra a possibility, that is how nations emerge. By the collision of commonalities as well as value systems, non 1 idiot somewhere pontificating as well as dictating to us who should locomote inwards a province or not. Other African people tin convey it, Nnamdi kanu cannot convey that. The whiteman is non God as well as cannot practice a province for me. Have Nigerians sat circular the tabular array to say nosotros take away maintain agreed that our hollo is Nigeria? We wishing to alive together; perhaps, in that location volition locomote a strong declaration against what I’m proposing. Right now, what nosotros are seeking to practice is become dorsum to where nosotros were earlier 1914. From there, nosotros tin so laid about to negotiate as well as discuss.
President Buhari inwards a recent broadcast said Nigeria’s unity is non negotiable as well as directed the safety agencies to bargain amongst whatsoever grouping that volition run against this. What’s your reaction?
I don’t house whatsoever bird of importance to his spoken communication as well as I will tell you lot why. First, I don’t believe he was the 1 that wrote the speech, I don’t believe he was the 1 that read it. If they prove me wrong, they should subscribe to a deoxyribonucleic acid test. That is number one; number two, if that spoken communication was contemporary as they made us believe as well as non a generic one, how come upwards in that location was no advert of the quit notice, how come upwards he did non telephone phone for the people inciting Northern youths, Almajiri to genocide? Why is it that those calling for the re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu cannot telephone phone for the arrest of the so called Arewa elders, non the youths because they came out to say that their elders knew what they were doing. They take away maintain the back upwards of their elders, fifty-fifty the governors, that’s what they said. Why is nobody arresting them because they are inwards the army, they are inwards the air force, they are inwards the police, in that location is Fulani everywhere, they command everything so, when they speak, you lot are supposed to locomote shaking, but unfortunately, I’m non 1 of those that shake; instead when I speak they should locomote shaking because they know what is behind me. They are to a greater extent than intelligent than most people, I give them credit for that, they know what it way to arrest me, they empathize the implications. Look at the start 1 they went through, Nigeria is at the brink of collapse. Second one, nosotros boot it over the precipice I assure you. Life to me is meaningless, the only thing that gives me hope everyday is the thought that I may run across Biafra. If I am non a dead man, what am I doing without Biafra? Life volition locomote meaningless, useless to me.
You spoke nigh the wall of the province falling if you lot are re-arrested. Since IPOB is non violent, how are you lot going to accomplish this?
Apartheid collapsed inwards South Africa, segregation collapsed inwards the USA, Martin Luther King had no weapons, the same thing is happening. There is a superior forcefulness fighting for us inwards heaven, Chukuokike Abiama, the Almighty God inwards sky is fighting. This is His battle, it is non Nnamdi Kanu or IPOB’s battle. God is fighting His battle for us. Have you lot e'er heard of earthquake inwards Nigeria? It happened inwards 2016 inwards the North when I was arrested; take away maintain you lot heard of locusts swarming everywhere as well as damaging crops before? These are plagues of biblical proportion as well as it is only a warning, a tester of what is to come. What I correspond is greater than who I am as well as the God that nosotros worship, Chukuokike Abiama is nigh to brand manifest that the whole world may know that Biafra is really special, exceptionally special as well as in that location is zero whatsoever human tin do, absolutely nothing.
You said God gave you lot a message for the Igbo, tin you lot portion the message amongst us?
That Biafra is coming as well as that nosotros must remain really strong as well as resolute. The only thing He requires of us is to worship Him, that’s all He wants us to practice as well as non to worship idol as well as Biafra volition come upwards as well as the world volition run across as well as volition prove it. The Igbo should plough away from idolatry as well as confront God as well as Him alone, that’s the message he said I should give my people. What is delaying Biafra is that the people take away maintain non turned away totally from worshipping idols. I volition locomote going to Arochuwku to cook a temple in that location as well as we’ll worship God how it used to be. There was a fourth dimension God loved us, nosotros used to obey Him past times going to Arochukwu to offering Him sacrifice. We started suffering as shortly as Arochukwu failed, because the people dabbled into idolatry.
You said you lot would see Lagos as well as Kaduna inwards no distant time. Don’t you lot experience for your security?
I take away maintain a lot of friends inwards Lagos as well as Southern Kaduna too. When the fourth dimension comes, I volition see those places. You spoke nigh my security, but I’m telling you lot that I’m non living whatsoever more.What you lot are seeing is but an empty vanquish that is only seeking for Biafra.
You locomote on maxim that all you lot hollo upwards nigh is Biafra, but MASSOB founder, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike in 1 trial said that you lot practice n’t know anything nigh Biafra. What’s your reaction?
Isn’t it really distressing that the only way he could attract attending to his publication was past times mentioning the hollo Nnamdi Kanu? That’s how depression he has sunk. Had he non mentioned Nnamdi Kanu, nobody would take away maintain bought whatsoever paper having such an interview; it’s a shame, isn’t it? How the mighty has fallen. If Uwazuruike had non mentioned Nnamdi Kanu, nobody would take away maintain read anything he was writing. That’s my answer.
Uwazuruike went farther inwards the interview to say that I’m calling for the boycott of Anambra election to aid APC win the election. But I wishing to tell him at various times I take away maintain been defendant of supporting virtually every political political party inwards the province as well as every major player. But the thing of joy for IPOB is that nosotros take away maintain the practice goodness of longevity as well as time; in that location is no prevarication that fourth dimension volition non reveal. Now, it is clearly demonstrated beyond every reasonable doubtfulness that when one-time President Goodluck was inwards office, I went difficult afterwards him. It was said that I was beingness sponsored past times APC. APC came in, I went afterwards Buhari, but Jonathan was really sensible non minding where nosotros take away maintain disagreement, he was really sensible, he ignored me. He knew that as a democrat, as a Biafran at take in that how you lot sort of moderate views as well as emotions inside a lodge is to ventilate them as well as allow people to say what they want; that the argue nosotros take away maintain the National Assembly is non to brand laws only. You practice room for people amongst various views as well as opinions as well as ideas. It’s ameliorate they are ttalking than fighting, that’s why you lot take away maintain parliament, people don’t know that.
I heard that he as said that if I demand coin that I should come upwards to him, but what Uwazuruike has refused to know is that I am non a coin monger similar him; nosotros are non the same. All he thinks nigh is money, but I hollo upwards nigh Biafra as well as that’s the huge difference. He has been abandoned past times his slave masters, the Hausa/Fulani he has been serving so diligently for many years. The wool has fallen off the eyes of our people; everyone knows he is a fraud. What am I doing amongst money? If I were looking for money, I would take away maintain settled amongst the Buhari government. I don’t demand money, the only thing I demand is Biafra, Uwazuruike cannot practice what I did, he tin never practice zero inwards a billion years. Now, I’m really glad that he has seen that all the coin he made,is worthless because he has lost his reputation, he has no hollo to autumn dorsum to. People give me stuff, the cars I use, people gave them to me. I don’t purchase anything, so, what practice I demand coin for? I don’t demand to purchase anything, the slice of furniture inwards my house, people built them for me. I am serving my people everyday as well as today nosotros take away maintain award as well as prestige because of IPOB. It’s not only our people, every other factor ethnic nationality, is rising upwards to speak because of IPOB. If I had compromised, practice you lot hollo upwards they would take away maintain the courage to rising up? It’s called award as well as integrity as well as Uwazuruike has got none.
Credit: The Sun