One would wonder why MEND developed such a serious interest in the freedom of Nnamdi Kanu. But the obvious reason is not far fetched.
Recall that Henry Okah, the leader of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND ) was arrested in Angola in 2008 and was charged with 62 counts of treason, terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and arms trafficking.
Henry Okah was championing the movement for the emancipation of his people, the Niger Deltans, from obvious marginalization and total neglect, being the goose that lays the golden egg. "Truly, the people saw and still see little benefit from the oil being pumped out from under them."
Having seen that the Nigerian state was not civilized and hence no respecter of peaceful agitations, as they killed Ken Sari Wiwa who peacefully agitated for his people, by concocting false charges against him and giving him death penalty, Henry Okah ventured into an armed struggle against the government and was later arrested and charged to court.
In July 2009, Okah's lawyer announced that he has accepted an amnesty, which had been offered by the Nigerian government to any rebel willing to lay down their arms, in a bid to end attacks on the oil industry.
On July 13, 2009, Judge Mohammed Liman announced that Okah was released, telling him in person "Having reviewed what the Attorney General said, you have become a free man at this moment."
But Henry Okah landed himself into another trouble and was arrested in Johannesburg on Saturday, October 2 following a bomb attack on Nigeria's Independence Day 2010 that killed 12 people, a responsibility of which he refused to accept.
On Monday, January 21 2013, a South African court convicted Okah of 13 charges of terrorism, including bombings that killed 12 people in Abuja on October 1, 2010. Handing down the verdict, Judge Nels Claassen said, "I have come to the conclusion that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused." He has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment and is currently serving this sentence at the Ebongweni Correctional Centre in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
But Nnamdi Kanu who is championing the freedom of his people from subjugation and British-forced marriage of 1914 was also arrested but on frivolous charges ranging from terrorism and terrorism financing, belonging to an unlawful society, to a treasonable felony.
Nnamdi Kanu's unconditional release was ordered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola on 17th December 2015 but President Muhamadu Buhari who is above the law he swore to uphold refused to effect the order of that competent court.
Muhamadu Buhari has looked for every way to nail Nnamdi Kanu but he has failed in every move he has made, he started with Ralph Uwazurike of Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) he failed; he resorted to Ohaneze Ndigbo but they failed to produce expected results; he then ran to Billie Human Rights Initiatives, Biafra Council of Elders but they all failed him.
Every group was coming up with an idea on how to quench Kanu's Biafra agitation hence MEND saw it as the best opportunity to release their leader, Henry Okah.
They went to meet with Buhari and posited that what he (Buhari) was looking for in London is right here in his palms. That Nnamdi Kanu's agitation will be a forgotten issue if he (Buhari ) could agree to release Henry Okah, and his younger brother, Charles Okah, assuring Muhamadu Buhari that they will get Nnamdi Kanu to renounce his Biafra agitation either by hook or by crook.
Unfortunately, MEND failed in their attempts hence they had to resort to cheap a blackmail.
If MEND did not have their own agenda and was sincerely making moves about Kanu's release, they wouldn't have said that Biafra agitators want to annex Niger Delta as part of their territories.
But let it be known to Buhari, DSS, MEND, BIM, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Council of Elders and any other group(s) or person(s) who want(s) to sabotage the genuine efforts of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, that all their attempts and strategies are failed on arrivals because Biafra is ordained by Chukwu-Okike Abiama.
To Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, it's "Biafra or Death" and eventually, Biafra shall be restored as a Sovereign State.
Therefore, I advice Buhari to free Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally as ordered by Honourable Justice Adeniyi Ademola before it becomes too late!
By Ogu Edozie Williams
Published by Uchechi Collins
For IPOB writers
0 comments so far,add yours