To his support base, is the saviour of the Igbo people from the clutches of the Nigerian government. To the Nigerian Government, he鈥檚 a . But for the rest of Nigeria, Nnamdi Kanu is simply the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a sect prominent in championing the secession of the southeast region from Nigeria to create its own independent state called Biafra.
Kanu鈥檚 first arrest
In October 2015, the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Kanu in Lagos after arriving from the United Kingdom. The government later charged him to court on charges of terrorism and felony. In April 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja on 鈥渕edical grounds鈥, but jumped bail months later after a Nigerian Army raid on his home, and he wasn鈥檛 seen in public for over a year.
In June 2021, the Nigerian government announced that Nnamdi Kanu was miraculously .
The government refused to disclose how Kanu was arrested and back in the detention of his buddies at the DSS. But he claimed he was illegally arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria without due process.听
From that point onwards, it鈥檚 been nothing but a seemingly unending 听 and counter-accusations between Kanu and the Federal Government. Imagine being forced to wear the same outfit, without any washing, for five months.听
Kanu鈥檚 imprisonment heightened unrest in the southeast, especially with a controversial sit-at-home order implemented on Mondays across the region. The curfew has been blamed for the increase in criminal activities and violence .听
A bittersweet release
On October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ruled Kanu鈥檚 arrest and extradition illegal and against him.
You can only imagine how Kanu must have felt as he heard the verdict.
But, don鈥檛 rejoice yet. He has from DSS custody. Why?
Well, it鈥檚 due to the Federal Government, again. This time, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, declared that Kanu was only . He added that there were other issues predating Kanu鈥檚 rendition 鈥渙n the basis of which Kanu jumped bail鈥 which remained 鈥渧alid issues for judicial determination.鈥
In other words, the FG is pissed at Kanu鈥檚 jumping bail five years ago and wants to show him shege.
What are the people saying?
Well, we have seen a number of mixed reactions to Kanu鈥檚 release. His supporters are happy, as this means no more sit-at-home orders from IPOB and getting back to their normal lives.
But there are still fears of IPOB lashing out if the Federal Government detains him further. After all, the current Buhari-led government is known for disobeying court orders.
There are also fears about Kanu鈥檚 potential on the 2023 elections and the fate of Peter Obi, the most prominent 2023 presidential candidate from the southeast region. Nigerians are curious to see whether he鈥檒l be Obi鈥檚 ally or foe.
Time will surely tell.
