Group kicks against #FreeNnamdiKanu protest
A group known as Nigeria First Project Initiative, has urged the Presidency and the Nigerian judiciary to disregard agitations by some individuals and groups calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu who is being arraigned by the Department of State Services on charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, illegal possession of firearms and managing an unlawful organisation among others was first arrested in 2015 and a second time in 2021.
Briefing newsmen at a press conference in Katsina on Monday, Hamza Saulawa, the National Coordinator of the group, , expressed fears that even if released, Kanu will continue to incite violence against the Nigerian state.
According to him, “Kanu was granted bail in 2017 but he arrogantly flouted the bail conditions and even jumped bail and fled the country where he continued sending inciting and hateful messages through social media channels.
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“These messages led to more killings of security agencies and hundreds of ordinary Nigerian citizens including those of Southeast origin.
“It took the grace of God for the Nigerian government through international collaboration and intelligence sharing to rearrest Kanu in 2021 and bring him back to Nigeria to face charges of terrorism”, Saulawa said.
He accused Kanu of being behind the continued operations of IPOB despite its proscription and designation as a terrorist organization by the federal government.
Saulawa also lamented the compulsory sit-at-home order imposed by the group in the Southeast and parts of South-south zones, paralysing business, educational and social activities and causing untold hardship on ordinary citizens.
While describing Kanu as a divisive figure, Saulawa expressed the fear that “if freed or released on bail, the IPOB leader will continue to promote hate, violence and terrorism and attempt to undermine the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
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The group urged the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoloye Sowore, and other individuals and groups to desist from organising protests to call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
Similarly, the group condemned the rumoured coup plot and commended the proactiveness of intelligence agencies against the plot, stating that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria.
Nigeria First Project Initiative described the coup plot as “part of the grand design to achieve a sinister agenda by a retrogressive section of the Nigerian elites who are hell-bent on truncating our hard-earned democracy.
“Nigerian democracy is indeed thriving as we just recently marked a milestone of 26th year anniversary of uninterrupted democracy, only apologists of totalitarianism and anarchists will wish the reversal of this great feat in our democratic journey,” Hamza Saulawa stressed.
