Posted on: 06:32 Thu, 31 Dec 2015



The leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra and founder of Radio Biafra,
Nnamdi Kanu, has apologised to
President Muhammadu Buhari for
calling him a terrorist, evil and a
paedophile in his radio broadcasts.

Kanu, who has been charged along
with two others by the Federal
Government before a Federal High
Court in Abuja on six counts of
treason and other ancillary offences,
said he intended to write a private
letter to Buhari to express his
apology to the President.

He also apologised to former
President Goodluck Jonathan and
Igbo elders for “some
uncomplimentary things” he said
about them.

The 48-year-old pro-Biafran
agitation leader, who is, however,
unapologetic about his demand for a
Republic of Biafra, has been in the
custody of the Department of State
Services since his arrest in Lagos on
October 14, 2015.

He tendered the apology for his
comment against Buhari and others
in a statement which he made to the
DSS on October 23.

The prosecution, in its summary of
the case, alleged that in one of the
radio broadcasts by Kanu on August
1, 2015, he expressed his resolve to
actualise the Republic of Biafra and
“cast aspersions on the person and
the office of the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

The statement read in part,
“Reference to the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria as a
terrorist, evil and a paedophile is
regrettable and uncalled for and for
that, I unreservedly apologise and
will be doing so in a private letter to
the President.

“Before PMB (President Muhammadu
Buhari) there was the administration
of Goodluck Jonathan. I also said
uncomplimentary things about him
and Igbo elders as well, which I now
recognise should not have happened
because it is un-African to be rude or
insolent to elders.

“All I was trying to do is to draw
attention to the problems afflicting
society and something done about
them.”

Kanu, who described himself as a
Nigerian and a British citizen,
justified his agitation for a Biafra
Republic.

He said IPOB’s secessionist agenda
was informed by the “incessant
hardship, lack of holistic
development in the socio-economic
landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth
employment, corruption in high
offices and economic regression.”

He added that the agitation by IPOB,
which, according to him, was
founded in London in 2012 by a
group of people from the South-South
and South-East regions of the
country, was in line with the United
Nations Charter on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples ratified by
African countries, including Nigeria.

In contrast to the counts of
managing and a$$isting in the
management of an unlawful society
preferred against Kanu and two
others, the Radio Biafra founder
stated that IPOB, which the
prosecution described as unlawful,
was registered with the UN to pursue
the rights of the people of Biafra.

He stated, “I can confirm that I,
Nnamdi Kanu, is the leader of
Indigenous People of Biafra
worldwide as a legitimately and duly
registered body at the United Nations
pursuing the rights of a specific
indigenous people, in this case,
Biafra, to seek self determination
according to the said charter.

“The reason for the formation of the
Indigenous People of Biafra is to
avail those referring to themselves as
Biafrans the opportunity made
available as a result of the United
Nations declaration to seek the
peaceful rebirth of Biafra in line
with international law.”

Kanu, who is a son of a traditional
ruler in Abia State, Sir I.O. Kanu,
said he operated Radio Biafra, whose
programmes “are designed to wake
up the public from its slumber and
address the issues of the time”
because of his belief in free speech
and freedom of expression.

He explained that the intended
Biafra Republic comprised Enugu,
Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Cross
River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa
and Delta states as well the Igbanke
part of Edo State; Igala part of Kogi
State and Idoma/Igede part of Edo
State.

Apart from Kanu, one of the two
other defendants in the six counts
filed by the Federal Government is a
Field Maintenance Engineer, David
Nwawuisi, charged with the
responsibility of maintaining MTN
masts in Enugu State.

The other defendant, Benjamin
Madubugwu, was said to be living in
the Ubilisiuzo, Ihiala Local
Government Area of Anambra State,
where he allegedly received custody
of a container, housing transmitters,
from Kanu.

On December 23 during the accused
persons’ appearance in court for
their scheduled arraignment, Kanu
refused to take his plea due to what
he called his lack of confidence in
the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed
Mohammed.

The judge promptly returned the case
file to the Chief Judge of the Federal
High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for
rea$$ignment to another judge and
the three accused persons were
returned to the custody of the
Department of State Services.

The fresh charges were filed against
the three men barely 24 hours after
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a ruling
on Kanu’s bail application on
December 17, ordered his
unconditional release from DSS
custody having been detained for
about two months without any valid
charges filed against him.