By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, on Thursday, visited the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Maazị Nnamdi Kanu at the facility of the Department of State Service (DSS) in Abuja.
Ubah, in the visit, was accompanied by the Traditional Ruler of Aguleri, H.R.M. Eze Chukwuemeka Eri L, as well as the Director-General of the Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation, Chief Vin Onyeka. The trio earlier stopped over at the chambers of Kanu’s lawyer, Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, where he interacted with him on the condition of Kanu and the purpose of the surprise visit.
Speaking shortly after visiting and interacting with Kanu, Senator Ubah said the visit was a continuation of the series of interventions that he and some Igbo stakeholders are engaging in, to ensure Kanu’s release from detention.
He further revealed the outcomes of some of the discussions he had with Kanu, adding that he (Kanu) frowned at the activities of some miscreants who use his name and that of the IPOB to commit all manner of atrocities and torment people in Igbo land, in the guise of fighting for his release through senseless and unjustifiable sit-at-home enforcement.
According to him, Kanu, during the interaction, ordered that no one should declare or enforce any form of sit-at-home with or in his name again henceforth, even as he described those miscreants who do such as enemies of peace and prosperity of Igbo land, warning them to desist from such.
On his own part, the Traditional Ruler of Aguleri, H.R.M. Eri, who also had an interaction with Kanu, said Kanu told him that his major worry and sickness in detention was how people mess up his name, oppress the poor, prevent children from going to school, and generally aggravate the sufferings of Ndị Igbo, all in the name of declaring and enforcing sit-at-home in his name.
“He (Kanu) wondered if this is how the Igbo land would be great. He wondered if the people who do all these manner of things in his name truly want him out of detention, truly love the Igbo, truly want the Igbo to prosper, and truly understand the implication of what they are doing. He, therefore, pleaded with me to help convey this message to the people, saying that he has good intentions for his people and the Igbo land, which was the reason he embarked on the journey and struggle for their freedom; and not to torment or make the situation worse for them,” Igwe Eri said.
Kanu’s lawyer, Barr. Ejiofor, had earlier taken to his Facebook handle to describe the visit as fruitful and commendable.
“The visit was unprecedented, as fruitful and productive discussions were exclusively held with Onyendu (MNK) during this visit. Onyendu reiterated his firm and unequivocal condemnation, and total cancellation of the senseless sit-at-home saga in the Southeast, hitherto enforced in the entire southeast states by the enemies of our people,” Ejiofor said in a social media post.
It is important to note that Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, is being prosecuted on 15-count charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism. Eight of the 15-count charges were struck out on April 8, 2022; while Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja quashed the remaining seven counts in October last year, and discharged Kanu. The Nigerian Government, however, has refused to obey the court judgment that acquitted Kanu.
