The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Saturday vowed to lockdown the South-east region if the federal government failed to unconditionally release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention by November 4.
IPOB through its Eastern Security Network is known for enforcing a sit-at-home protest in south-eastern states in show of solidarity with Kanu who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since July.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday rejected Kanu’s request to be moved to Kuje Correctional Service Centre and adjourned his trial till November 10.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said it will honour Kanu with the fresh lockdown, which will be enforced between November 5 and 10, except on Sunday, November 7, to allow for Church service.
IPOB described the lockdown as a “necessary sacrifice” the people of the South-east will have to make, warning that any resident of the region who disobeys the directive will be “challenging the will of the people on the Biafra project”.
According to the statement, “Our leader, onyendu Mazi Nnamdi must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 because he has not committed any offence known to any law.
“Failure to release our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi KANU on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week sit-at-home begins on November 5, 2021, till November 10.
“Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans.
“We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21 when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the federal government is not sincere and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in the DSS custody to rot there.
“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!
“We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be tried secretly and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law under any guise. Nigeria must follow international laws in handling our leader.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in the DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra independence, and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all, so we must be prepared to sacrifice little for him.”
