The founder of Biafra Independent Movement and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has expressed anger against the Tinubu-led administration over last week’s Supreme Court judgment for the return of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Federal High Court for another round of treason trial.
Recall that Kanu was renditioned by the Federal Government from Kenya in June 2021 and had since then been detained in the facilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The Bim-MASSOB leader, Chief Uwazuruike in a viral video on social media Saturday harshly criticized President Bola Tinubu on the Supreme Court judgment, saying that the President was playing on the sensibilities of the Igbo and never had in mind to release the IPOB leader, Kanu. Chief Uwazuruike said that the President had to release Kanu and stop using the court as an excuse.
He noted that by the continued detention of Kanu, the Tinubu government was simply playing games, rather than following established examples.
Uwazuruike blamed the government and politicians for being responsible for insecurity in the country, saying that the leadership has kept a blind eye over arresting the ugly trend because they are involved.
He reminded President Tinubu that during his own time, that it was not the Supreme Court that released him, that it was not the Supreme Court which released Asari Dokubo, that it was not the Supreme Court that released Dr Fredrick Fasehun, that it was not the Supreme Court that released Gani Adams.
“So when has the Supreme Court come to play here, why must it be Nnamdi Kanu now that the Supreme Court will release?
“Even if you go back to the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was it the Supreme Court that released him? Look at Sunday Igboho of yesterday, who was released from Benin Republic, was it the Supreme Court that released him? Why must the Supreme Court release Nnamdi Kanu? The government should stop deceiving us, we are not children.”
Uwazuruike said that he never expected the Supreme Court to release Kanu, insisting that it is the place of the President, not the Supreme Court, to release a person charged with treason and treasonable felony
“I never expected the Supreme Court to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. There is no way the Supreme Court can release Nnamdi Kanu, it has never happened. It is not the place of the court to release a person charged with treason and treasonable felony, that is the place of the President.
“The case is not between the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Nnamdi Kanu, the case is between the State and Nnamdi Kanu and when you talk of the State you talk of the President as the number one citizen.
“There is no way the Supreme Court can release Nnamdi Kanu without the consent of the President, without the President authorizing it, it is impossible, it has never happened.
“The last video I made, I said that the Supreme Court is an arm of government, the Federal Government, the President can use the Supreme Court to release Nnamdi Kanu, or he can release him on his own, but they want to put it as if the Supreme Court doesn’t release Nnamdi Kanu, then Nnamdi Kanu cannot be released.
“Nobody is expecting the Supreme Court to release him in the first place. We still expect the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu as Christmas gift to the South East as they released Sunday Igboho who is now enjoying with his family, I think in Canada or Germany.
“They should release Nnamdi Kanu. What has the Supreme Court got to do with this? When you want to talk about insecurity in the South East, was it caused by Nnamdi Kanu alone, what about the sponsors, the politicians?
“Recently, President Bola Tinubu’s official told us that they know the sponsors of insecurity not only in the South East, but also in the North East, Boko Haram where are their sponsors? Where are they, why have they not been charged to court?
“You are holding only Nnamdi Kanu, so Nnamdi Kanu is the only person that is causing the insecurity in the South East? Is that what you want us to believe? He single-handedly transpired within himself alone without any other person, sponsored it, started causing the insecurity in the South East, he alone? Don’t deceive us, please.
“We still expect President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, he is the only person that can do it, to enjoy with his family. He has been there close to three years now. What has he done? Sunday Igboho was clamouring for the Oduduwa Republic, Nnamdi Kanu is clamouring for Biafra Republic, so what’s the difference here?
“This one (Sunday Igboho) you asked him to proceed to his destination, Germany and this one (Nnamdi Kanu) you adopted him back to Nigeria to come and face trial. The Supreme Court, I learnt, said that though the process was irresponsible, since he is in Nigeria he should be tried.
“Oh, that was why you people asked Igboho to go to Germany from Benin Republic? Who are you deceiving? Why are you not trying the sponsors of insecurity? Because you know that you people are entangled, they are politicians, all of you are involved.
“Every time you come to tell us that you know the people sponsoring insecurity, we don’t know them and you cannot try them, why? Because you are involved. Please release Nnamdi Kanu. Release him. Your hands are dirty, everybody, your hands are dirty.
“I said it last time when you are in government the opposition will start doing all sort of things to take power from you. They engaged people criminally to disorganize you, by the time you are out and they come into office, all these people will face them, all the people they sponsored will face them with arms and ammunition, and when you leave office also they face those that will come in.
“You are all involved that is why you cannot bring those that sponsor insecurity to face punishment and you are now holding one person making him a scapegoat as if he is the worst person while all of you are involved.
“If I don’t support Nnamdi Kanu’s release what should I support? Who should I support? If you have the fundamental right to say that he should not be released, I also have the fundamental right to say he should be released, so he must be released because the government has started releasing similar people like Sunday Igboho.
“Was I not charged with treason and treasonable felony, am I not here, was it the Supreme Court that released me? They are saying they should go back to Federal High Court, to do what? To do what at the Federal High Court? If you thought, it was the judiciary that will release him why didn’t you release him when the Appeal Court ruled that he should be released?
“Don’t insult our intelligence, we are human beings. If you want to bring ethnic colouration into it, fine, maybe he is an Igbo man, otherwise why is Sunday Igboho that committed the same offence enjoying in Germany? Please go away with your Supreme Court nonsense.”
