THE leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biafra,
Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed regret for referring to President Muhammadu
Buhari as 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 assisting 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 reassignment 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.
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