By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
An Igbo professional group, Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), has urged the federal government to immediately liaise with the government’s of Isreal and United Kingdom to extradite leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
CSEPNND in the letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari said Kanu should be brought home to face the law over his involvement in alleged treasonable felony.
The open letter dated January 8th, 2021, and signed by its National President, Prof. Madumere Chika and National Secretary, Mazi Anayo Uchemba, noted that Kanu is hiding under his citizenship of another country and cordial relationship between the two nations and Nigeria to plan and launch attacks on Nigeria with a view to destroying it.
CSEPNND said that Kanu is a fugitive who escaped the law after being granted bail following his arrest and detention over treasonable felony, the coalition insisted that Israel and the UK can turn in the IPOB leader given that he was in the nation’s wanted list.
The group appealed to the United Kingdom and the Nation of Israel especially to cooperate with the Nigerian government to have Kanu brought back into the country to continue trial.
It recalled with regret that Kanu, having evaded justice in the country, boastfully posted some video clips on the Internet where he threatened in a live broadcast not to ever submit himself to the trial that was abruptly suspended due to his sudden disappearance from the country.
The Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND) appealed to all foreign nations to direct their embassies to cooperate and assist Nigeria in tracking down Kanu and subsequently hand him over to the Nigerian authorities with a view to facing the law of the country.
“We are constrained to write this open letter to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately write the Government of the United Kingdom, requesting the extradition of our fugitive son and founder of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria to continue his trial over alleged treasonable felony,” the group said.
“Since Kanu escaped justice to the United Kingdom where he has another citizenship, we have watched him on some video clips he posted on the Internet where he did not only boast that he would not submit himself before the trial that was abruptly suspended due to his sudden disappearance from the country but also threatened that he would destroy our dear country.
“He has no doubt,followed the threat with a number of attacks on the country apart from the formation of a militia group which information at our disposal suggest he has armed to the teeth to fight the Nigerian Government.”
“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria being ably led by President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,whose ministry deals with all extradition issues, to immediately forward extradition request on Kanu to the UK for action.
The coalition, on the other hand, called on the United Kingdom and Isreal, to deny the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the freedom of using the privilege of his foreign citizenship to incite violence against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The group reminded the foreign nations that Nnamdi Kanu remained a fugitive to the law, having jumped bail that was granted him by a court of competent jurisdiction trying him here on a criminal charge of treasonable felony and other related offences.
Specifically, the group alleged that the separatist leader was taking advantage of his sojourn in the aforesaid countries to cause anarchy and insurrection, through orchestrated incitement of members of the proscribed IPOB.
It recalled that, in the eyes of the law, IPOB is a terrorist organisation, as it had been so declared by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
While noting that Kanu is a threat to the country and must be immediately brought to book, the Igbo professionals expressed displeasure with the UK government for continuously harbouring him.
“We call on both the UK and Israel not to be seen to be facilitating the inglorious activities of a fugitive in Nigeria. They can prove their opposition to the activities of Kanu by flushing him out now.
“We reiterate that we have reached a point where we expect the UK not to severe the ties that exist between it and Nigeria. We advise it to revisit its ill-advised choice of keeping a terrorist against the Nigerian state,” it added.
The group assured President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigeria’s that Igbos were fully committed to the Nigerian project, asking him to see the action of Mr Kanu as a lone one.
According to it, “Having worked and contributed effortlessly to see Nigeria at its present state, we believe that the United Kingdom and Israel would not want to see Nigeria a shattered state.”
“It is in this regard that we are strongly appealing to them to assist in the extradition of Kanu, whose activities have been against the unity of Nigeria,” it stated
The coalition added: “As Igbo sons and daughters, we wish to inform Nigerians that Kanu is alone in his cessation project and has no reasonable person behind him.”
Even as it admitted that the South East region had not had its fair share in the one Nigeria project, the Igbo group said the pursuit of inclusive government must be channelled through appropriate lawful means.
“Though our people are highly marginalized and deserve the right for agitation, but that must be done legally and by the appropriate people not a deviant young man like Nnamdi Kanu who is out for his selfish interest,” it said.
It informed the foreign nations that Kanu was barred by a Federal High Court in Abuja from participating in, or addressing public rallies or protests, as part of the conditions for his bail, a development it regretted, had been ignored.
“Kanu has disobeyed this valid court order, which has not been set aside, either by the trial court, or by the Court of Appeal.
“Kanu has always lamented the treatment of people from the South East zone by the Nigerian government and by other Nigerians. This formed the reason for his agitation for a country of his own.
“However, while Kanu has a right to legally clamour for whatever he believes in, he should also know that the Igbo Nation has recognized spokespersons in the forms of the governors, legislators and Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group. Any serious statements are supposed to come from these people after extensive consultations”, the statement noted.
