Kanu Does Not Support Violence In South-East, Ejimakor Reaffirms

Barr Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Monday, said although his client had times without number condemned violence and sit-at-home in the South-East region of the country, many people and groups are taking the advantage of his aura and influence to commit crimes in the region.

Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and is being tried over alleged terrorism.

He has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since 2021 after being renditioned from Kenya to Nigeria, which Nigeria’s apex court described as contrary to various international conventions to which Nigeria belongs.

Ejimakor said Kanu in his recent open court address to the media condemned violence in the name of Biafra agitation, adding that because of Kanu’s influence, many people had done what Kanu ruled out in his agitation for justice in Igboland.

Quoting him, “Kanu has the aura and followership. He has the clout and influence to change the tide of things in the South East. Many utilise this for their own selfish reasons, even against the grains of Mazi Kanu.

Nature abhors a vacuum. The rendition of Kanu and his subsequent detention fuelled a new regime of some people who used it to cause mayhem.

It has become a constant factor for good, the bad and the ugly. Kanu means good for Ndigbo. He never sanctioned violence.”

He said IPOB is not a violent organisation, but a self-determination group operating according to the laws and international conventions. Ejimakor said, “Kanu remained committed to legitimate means of self-determination until he was renditioned to Nigeria. That is why some people use the opportunity to do what they do. But the constant factor is his continued detention.”

Ejimakor said nobody would have any excuse to commit any crimes or mayhem in the name of Kanu “if he is freed from detention”, adding that

“This doesn’t mean that Kanu’s disciples are responsible for insecurity in the South East. That is far from the truth because he himself has condemned violence.

“He also made a description between genuine agitation for a referendum for Biafra and someone using it as a stepping stone to commit criminality. He made the demarcation very clear.”