Amended Charges; Buhari Gives Nnamdi Kanu Soft Landings -By Obinna Akukwe

President Muhammadu Buhari has given the leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu soft landings with the flimsy amended charges brought before Justice Binta Nyako by the office of the Attorney General.

Sources within the presidency conversant with the case of Nnamdi Kanu and our efforts to secure a pardon for him and all Biafrans detained over secessionist agitations, told me that Buhari sees Nnamdi Kanu as a talkative without home training, and does not deserve his attention.

Buhari’s inner circles believes that Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandits are more potent danger to the continued existence of Nigeria than the ‘empty threats’ of Nnamdi Kanu, though I countered that his activities are capable of turning South East into Afghanistan using the militant ESN known in intelligence circles as Unknown Gunmen.

I was informed that the seven count amended charges was deliberately construed by the office of the Attorney General whereby Nnamdi Kanu is not accused of any act bordering on murder, and where incitement was mentioned, it was not linked to the death of anybody.

The purpose of the flimsy charges is to make it easier for Nnamdi Kanu to get bail, if his counsels understand the game plan, and stop all the statements of unnecessary vituperations.

Count One borders on broadcast using Radio Biafra to ask for secession. Count two borders on abusing President Muhammadu Buhari. Count three borders on importing a Radio transmitter into the country while declaring such to be household items. Count four borders on using Radio Biafra to profess membership of a proscribed organization. Count five borders inciting members of IPOB to look for security personnel and their families, count six borders on a statement Kanu made with effect that something terrible will happen in a particular ‘two weeks time’ while count seven bordrs on issuing a deadly threat concerning Sit-at Home and its deadly consequences.

These charges deliberately avoided linkng Knu to any death, not due to Buhari’s foolishness as touted by IPOB but due to the ongoing political settlements.

The office of the Attorney General had also while releasing the reports of the fact finding panel on remote and immediate causes of Endsars Protests, hinted that more charges could be slammed on Kanu . However, the contents of that Presidential Panel will not form the basis of any subsequent charge if the IPOB toes the path of reason.

Information from sources within the DSS suggests that they want the secessionist leader’s case to be quickly disposed off. Justice John Tosho supports Justice Binta Nyako’s body language also suggests efforts to accelerate Nnamdi Kanu’s case, avoid unnecessary technicalities that could delay the case, and if possible grant him bail after two more hearings. Justice Nyako has been generous in granting Kanu’s counsel the leave to see him twice weekly, and also allow any four persons of Kanu’s choice to visit him weekly. This favour is generally not granted to those in DSS custody.

The leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Zakzaky and former National Security Adviser, Colonel Dasuki, both men capable of truncating national security, according to intelligence sources, did not have the leisure of four family members weekly, the privilege accorded Kanu. Yet these two men are ostensibly worse security threaths, and capable of truncating democracy in Nigeria, not just South East, unlike Kanu.

I counsel the solicitors to Nnamdi Kanu to caution the numerous IPOB faithful over uncouth language and activities capable of overheating the polity. The flimsy charges against Nnamdi Kanu is not a sign of foolishness by Buhari as IPOB High Command had erroneously suggested and gloated about, it is a judicial soft landings in response to the efforts of many persons to secure a political solution to Nnamdi Kanu’s case, including my efforts , our efforts as a group, and that of some prominent Igbo leaders whom we encountered while covertly seeking solution to Kanu’s case

However, if IPOB faithful continue in acts of indiscretion, killing of security agents, and enforcing the Sit-at Home Order in a bloody and violent manner, the Nigerian Government will jettison the judicial soft landing and send him to jail.

I have warned before in a piece titled ‘Obadiah Mailafia nd the fate of Nnamdi Kanu, Why Kuje Prison is not an Option’ that the speed with which Nnamdi Kanu’s counsel is seeking his transfer to Kuje Prison is filled with banana peels because the ‘Unknown Politicians of Northern Extraction’ who plotted his abduction, and trailed him from Europe, will poison him in Kuje Correctional Facility. I stated in the same piece that

“I have written about the murder of Obadah Malaifia the manner Abba Kyari, Buhari;s former Chief of staff was murder and blamed on Covid-19, the manner Abiola Ajimobi, Yinka Odumakin, former Governor of Oyo, and Afenifere Secretary respectively, and blamed on Covid-19 complications. Therefore, the day Nnamdi Kanu develops Covid-19 at Kuje Prisons, rushed to National Hospital , Abuja and confirmed dead, let the nation not burn”

I want to caution the IPOB Mob that Buhari has given Nnamdi Kanu a judicial soft landings, let all these unnecessary hostilities, grandstanding, vitriolic statements and bogus propaganda cease so that the political solution can progress, failure to adhere strictly to my advise will Have Nnamdi Kanu’s case compounded, and there is no international community interested in any Biafra, to intervene n his behalf.

The loudmouths touting a UN letter to Buhari on Nnamdi Kanu will be shocked when the second phase of the trial commences, the same UN will disappear into thin air and leave Ndigbo to their fate-a word is enough for the wise. Buhari and Malami should reciprocate the peace gesture of IPOB and extradite Kanu’s trial, grant him bail, and pardon, and de-escalate tension in the South East.

(Rev Obinna Akukwe, Columnist, Activist is the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC igbomandate@yahoo.com, @igbomandatecongress)