The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly countered the recent comments made by Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, regarding the potential impact of releasing their detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on insecurity in the South-East region of Nigeria. Governor Soludo, during an interview on Arise News Television, stated that the release of Kanu might not end insecurity in the region, as criminal activities and elements existed in the South-East long before Kanu’s detention.
In a statement issued on Monday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group argued that Kanu’s release would, in fact, play a critical role in ending insecurity in the South-East. IPOB maintained that if Kanu’s continued detention has created an excuse for criminals to operate under the guise of demanding his freedom, then his release would strip them of any legitimacy. They went further to challenge that if insecurity persists in the South-East two weeks after Kanu’s release, IPOB would cease to exist as a movement.
Powerful criticized Soludo’s remarks, describing them as contradictory and potentially misleading. He expressed concern that the governor’s statements might align him with politicians opposed to Kanu’s release. This, IPOB claimed, contradicts Soludo’s earlier calls for Kanu’s freedom and undermines the logical approach to resolving insecurity in the region.
“If criminals are operating under the pretext of advocating for Kanu’s release, the logical step is to secure his release and, in so doing, expose these misguided individuals. This would deny them any cover or legitimacy. Governor Soludo’s statement appears to conflict with common sense and might be interpreted as siding with those opposing Kanu’s freedom,” the statement read.
Emma Powerful further emphasized that releasing Kanu would reveal and eliminate criminals exploiting his name or that of IPOB to commit offenses. The group argued that those who are genuinely independent criminals would also be flushed out and driven from Igboland.
The IPOB spokesperson also recalled the governor’s earlier emphasis on non-kinetic approaches to resolving insecurity, questioning why he seemed to have deviated from that position. “Governor Soludo’s recent remarks make him sound more like a propagandist for the Nigerian Army, an institution often accused of targeting innocent Igbo youths under the pretext of fighting insecurity,” Powerful noted.
The statement criticized what it described as a longstanding hostility from some Nigerian security agencies toward the people of Biafra, accusing them of exploiting insecurity as an excuse to carry out unjust actions against Igbos.
Powerful also highlighted IPOB’s role through its Eastern Security Network (ESN) in combating the activities of killer herdsmen in the South-East. He claimed that Nnamdi Kanu had been instrumental in curbing the terror inflicted by these herdsmen, who once rampaged unchecked through farmlands, forests, and villages in the region. “If Kanu was able to address the menace of killer herdsmen, his release will undoubtedly help bring an end to the broader insecurity in the South-East,” Powerful said.
IPOB also expressed disappointment in the reluctance of South-East governors to advocate more strongly for Kanu’s release. “If there are ulterior motives behind this reluctance, the South-East Governors Forum should come forward and be honest with the public,” the statement added.
Reiterating their confidence in Kanu’s ability to resolve insecurity in the region, IPOB reminded the public of Kanu’s courtroom challenge: if his release fails to end insecurity within two weeks, IPOB would voluntarily disband. “This is how confident we are in our movement and our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Biafrans,” the statement concluded.
