Release me, I’ll end South-East insecurity within two minutes — Nnamdi Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has asserted that he possesses the capability to swiftly quell insecurity in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria within a mere two-minute timeframe, provided he is released from detention.
Kanu, who has been detained at the State Security Service (SSS) facility since his controversial rearrest and repatriation from Kenya in June 2021, is currently facing terrorism charges at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
IPOB, under Kanu’s leadership, advocates for the establishment of an independent state of Biafra, encompassing territories in the South-east and parts of the South-south Nigeria.
The group has been accused of orchestrating violent attacks and killings in both regions, allegations it vehemently denies.
During a recent statement on Tuesday, Kanu attributed the ongoing insecurity in the two regions to his incarceration at the SSS facility.
“Anyone engaging in violence or insecurity in the South-east under the guise of IPOB is acting independently, and they are aware of this fact. Allow me to intervene. Just two minutes! Only two minutes, and I assure you there will be peace in the East, extending beyond the South-east to every corner of the region, if not the entirety of the South,” he declared.
The IPOB leader spoke to reporters on Tuesday when he appeared at the Federal High Abuja in continuation of his trial.
A video clip which showed the separatist leader making the comments has been trending on various social media platforms.
Continuing, Kanu said he has suspicion that some officials of the Nigerian government were behind the insecurity in the two regions because they were allegedly making money from the situation in the areas.
“They (the government officials) know that if Nnamdi Kanu is out, in two minutes, this nonsense will stop,” he said of insecurity, adding that nobody can challenge his order in the regions.
Kanu also said those carrying out attacks in the two regions in the name of IPOB were criminals.
“Anybody abducting people, killing people for the sake of achieving Biafra, that person is a criminal. Anybody who engages in robbery, sabotage, kidnapping or committing all these things in the name IPOB is a criminal,” he said in Igbo language.
“We are here to fight for our freedom for justice, equity and fairness. That’s what we are fighting for. Nothing more; nothing less. Anybody involved in any kind of crime in the east cannot go free,” the IPOB leader added.
