Dele Momodu: Igbo Marginalisation Revived Biafra Agitation

Media mogul and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu, has added his voice to growing calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Momodu reflected on Kanu’s continued incarceration and the historical context surrounding the renewed push for Biafra. His post included a clip from one of Kanu’s old broadcasts, which he described as “thought-provoking.”

Momodu argued that the Biafra movement was reignited by decades of political and economic marginalisation suffered by the Igbo people in Nigeria.

“Shortly before his abduction from Kenya by the Nigerian government, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu made this thought-provoking broadcast in which he philosophised about the reasons he and his supporters became radicalised,” Momodu wrote.

He criticised many of Kanu’s detractors for failing to grasp the deeper causes of the agitation.

“I have taken time to listen to his critics and discovered most of them only jumped to conclusions without proper analysis of why agitation for Biafra became reignited, attractive, and fanciful after the pogrom that wasted millions of lives and destroyed unimaginable properties in the 1960s and ’70s,” he stated.

According to the veteran journalist, persistent injustice against the Igbo people has continued to fuel separatist sentiment.

“The continuing marginalisation of the Igbo, and deprivation accorded some of the most energetic and vibrant brains in Africa, and globally, rekindled the Biafra sentiment,” he said.

Momodu also warned that persecuting or silencing Kanu would not resolve the underlying issues driving the movement.

“Attempts by enemies of Kanu, including his own kinsmen, to exterminate him will never solve the problem,” he cautioned.

Instead, he urged the government to pursue dialogue and political reform rather than repression.

“I will never support violence. But any sensible government will keep the geniuses of the South East very busy with productive engagements, instead of this rabid hatred,” he added.

Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria in 2021, is currently facing trial on charges of terrorism and incitement to violence.

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