As the tension generated by the quit notice handed Igbo in the north is yet to settle, Arewa youths yesterday stirred another controversy by asking the Presidency to order the immediate arrest and detention of the self-acclaimed Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu, over what they called threats to Nigeria’s corporate existence.
Arewa youths spoke as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday said that the total rejection of restructuring of the country by the honourable members of the Senate is an indication to all and sundry that Nigeria can never be united.
This is even as the custodian of the Igbo culture and tradition and traditional ruler of Nri in Anambra State, Eze Obidiegwu Onyeso has threatened to drag Nnamdi Kanu to court for allegedly desecrating the Igbo tradition by claiming to have received Ofo Nri (the Igbo staff of authority), when such a thing never happened.
Arrest Kanu now — Arewa youths
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly, AYA, Mohammed Salihu and the Clerk, Desmond Minakaro, accused the Federal Government of aiding and abetting the IPOB leader to breach the bail conditions handed him by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja and inciting Nigerians against the government at major rallies in the South South and South East states.
The Northern youth leaders wondered why the government has allowed Kanu to grow wings and threaten national peace and security with inciting statements capable of destroying the country without calling him to order.
The Arewa youths said it was disappointing that despite the clear bail conditions reeled out by Justice Nyako, Kanu had brazenly violated all including the ban on organising rallies and press conferences and being with any crowd of more than ten persons at any time.
The youth leaders said: “The leadership of Arewa Youth Assembly has observed with keen interest the high level of lawlessness exhibited by Nnamdi Kanu since he was granted bail in June this year and the conspiracy of silence displayed by the Federal Government and its security agencies in the face of such affront by the IPOB leader. No doubt, this lawlessness is capable of disintegrating this country.
“The level of insecurity and youth agitations calls for concern by all well meaning Nigerians. These threats have turned our country in a place of uncertainty and now a laughing stock in the international community. Nigerians now live in a state of fear and trauma for the fear of the unknown.
“Any nation or institution which cannot abide by its own laws, rules and regulations is bound to fail and not worthy of being a nation or institution. It is on record that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided by Honourable Justice Binta Nyako on the 28th April, 2017, granted bail to one Mr. Nnamdi Kanu on health grounds with about 12 conditions attached to his bail.
“Gentlemen of press, you will all agree with us that the said Nnamdi Kanu has openly violated his bail conditions, chief among which are that he should not address a press conference; a rally and should not be in a gathering of more than ten persons.
“The most surprising and amazing of this is that the Federal Government is watching while Nnamdi Kanu is creating a state within a state, threatening to stop Anambra State gubernatorial election by holding rallies in South South and South East states and using provocative and inciting words, granting interviews to the press, which pose a threat to national unity and security.
“This level of lawlessness has left us with no option than to doubt the ability of our Acting President to successfully preside over the affairs of our country. Our Acting President seems to be under the control of some cabals when it comes to decision-making.
“We therefore, wish to advise the Acting President to sit up and be in firm control of the government of Nigeria and begin to address the myriads of issues threatening the unity of this great nation,” the Arewa youths said.
Rejection of restructuring shows Nigeria can’t be one -IPOB
IPOB in the statement to journalists in Enugu commended the senators who it claimed, vindicated their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on the floor of senate through their rejection of restructuring in Nigeria.
IPOB reaffirmed that only referendum can solve the perennial issues of resources control.
According to the statement issued to pressmen by the publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, “We, members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s leadership worldwide under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu , wish to congratulate the members of the Nigerian Senate for summoning the courage to vindicate our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB on the floor of the senate through their rejection of restructuring as a way forward in Nigeria.
Anambra monarch threatens to drag Kanu to court
Kanu had reportedly visited Nri recently during which he was given the Ofo from the ancient kingdom, a claim denied by the palace of traditional ruler of Nri.
It was gathered that Kanu visited someone who was laying claim to the traditional stool of Nri, only to claim that he received the staff of authority from the traditional ruler.
The monarch’s personal assistant, Chief Ifeanyi Onyeso told reporters yesterday that the staff of authority could not have been handed over to Kanu by anybody, not to talk of Eze Onyeso doing do, adding that by making the claim, Kanu had defiled the culture and tradition of Ndigbo.
According to Onyeso,” most Igbo people have been expressing anger over the alleged misconduct of Kanu who visited Nri in company of his wife Uchechi and a large number of his supporters.”
He said: “On July 18, 2017, a day before Kanu visited Nri, twelve youths came to the palace of Eze Nri requesting for an appointment with the traditional ruler for Kanu.
“I was the person that received them and so I told them to go and come back with a written letter so that they will get official reply from the palace since the delegation looked unusual because there was no titled person among them.
“At this point, they all left and what we saw the next day was Kanu visiting Nri community with a huge crowd of his supporters. Kanu went straight to the house of one Shadrack Mbanefo, a subject of the traditional ruler of Nri.
“The feelers we later got was that the said Mbanefo claimed he handed over the ‘Ofo Nri, a symbol of royalty, to Kanu, and even allowed Kanu to visit the historic “Ohianwehi forest, which is a revered “forest of life” by Igbo tradition.
“Nri people perceive Kanu’s conduct as a taboo as no high profile visitor enters the community without first visiting the traditional ruler, let alone a sacred place without the knowledge of the monarch.
“After visiting the forest, Kanu and his supporters later came back to the palace entrance gate of Eze Onyeso where they were banging at the gate and tried to force the gate open.
“It was this unruly conduct that made the traditional ruler to telephone security agents who responded promptly and dispersed Kanu and his supporters.
“It is a taboo in Nri and equally against the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council Law for a high profiled visitor to visit a community without first paying homage to the traditional ruler.
“The community will drag him to a customary court to make sure that nobody else gives such an insult to the community and its preserved heritage.”
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