IPOB Sit-at-home: Condemnations trail Nnamdi Kanu’s threat
to South-east residents
Mr Kanu threatened death to anyone who fails to observe the
sit-at-home order.
Condemnations have trailed the threat issued to people of
South-east by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu on the sit-at-home order.
Mr Kanu had in a broadcast declared that the sit-at-home will
commence 6p.m. on Saturday till 6p.m. on Monday.
He said the order is compulsory and must be obeyed by all
the people in the region. He warned that anyone seen
outside will be killed.
“From 6p.m. on the 29th, there will be no movement, this is
not sit-at-home but no movement. If you are found outside
from 6p.m. you are dead,” he said.
Those who reacted on Saturday condemned the threat by Mr
Kanu, stating that it was wrong to threaten the lives of the
same people he claims to be fighting for their freedom.
Others noted that the exercise is voluntary and warned Mr
Kanu to stop using coercion to get the people to comply.
One of them, Augustine Igboji said that by threatening the
lives of the people, IPOB is confirming the terrorist tag given
to it by the federal government.
He said, “Nnamdi Kanu started as a freedom fighter. His
agitation was termed peaceful agitation for actualisation of
Biafra. He is often lamenting that the federal government is
denying Ndígbo their fundamental human rights. He claimed
the ESN was formed to protect the people.
“But today he is threatening death to anybody who flouts the
sit-at-home order telling them that it is longer voluntary but
compulsory. Telling people not to move around is a denial of
their fundamental human rights.
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“Threatening them with death or attacks if they flout the
order is close to terrorism. And if anybody is attacked on that
day, well, let’s pray nothing like that happens.
“But let me just say that Kanu and IPOB are fast descending
into an anarchist organisation. Something close to a terrorist
group which the federal government branded them some
years back.”
Mr Igboji said the IPOB leader risks losing the support of the
people if he did not retrace his steps. “You cannot lead
people with fear. That is not leadership but slavery,” he said.
“At some point, the people will revolt against you too. Is this
how he will lead Biafra if he gets it? By brute force? This is
how despots start. I will rather remain in Nigeria than follow
such a leader,” he added.
Another person, Emmanuel Nnaemeka, believes that Mr Kanu
and IPOB are slowly turning into a monster which may
consume the region.
“We are creating a monster that may consume us soon. I
listened to Nnamdi Kanu’s threat online and I was shocked. I
started wondering what the leadership of Biafra would look
like.
“He threatened that his boys would kill anyone that dared to
step out of the house that day. Is that how they will rule
Biafra? To use gunmen to threaten people into doing
everything they say?
“Nigeria may be more peaceful than Biafra with the way these
people are going about this thing. Many of us might not see it
now but when the time comes, we will all live in fear. God
forbid that Biafra will come through people who have the
blood of their brothers in their hands. How can we be acting
like people without sense?” he said.
A lawyer, Steve Nworie, said Mr Kanu and IPOB failed to take
note of the fact that some persons will be on essential duty
and need to move around especially journalists and health
workers.
He said, “There is a palpable fear across the South-east
because of the numerous messages of death by the leader of
IPOB against anyone who dares to come out on Monday 31st
May, 2021.
“While I will personally obey this stay-at-home order because
I am convinced that it is the right thing to do, I am
particularly concerned by the blanket coercion deployed by
Nnamdi Kanu and his team.
“Certainly, there are so many Igbo sons and daughters who
out of no choice of theirs may be forced to be on the road on
Monday, how do we justify their deaths when the ‘supreme
leader’ has said that not even a rat will be spared alive if it is
seen on the road across the South-east?
“How about essential workers whose lines of duty are so
essential for the well-being of Ndi Igbo? Do they deserve to
die in their line of duties? How about those who are forced
out on the road due to unexpected emergencies that are
totally beyond them? Do they deserve the death penalty by
the Biafra militias?”
Mr Nworie warned Mr Kanu to desist from such threats.
“History is the greatest teacher of mankind and history
abounds of leaders who extracted followership by coercion.
They never end well. For us to achieve the Biafran project, we
must be ready to respect the right to life and property.
“Killing of our own people will never restore Biafra. Sit-at-
home is a welcome idea but forcing people to obey the same
is unacceptable,” he said.
IPOB has been agitating for an independent state of Biafra to
be carved out of Nigeria’s South-east and parts of South-
south.
Security officials have been the targets of deadly attacks in
Nigeria’s South-east and South-south regions for several
weeks.
The facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral
Commission in the two geopolitical zones have also been set
ablaze in similar attacks.
IPOB has denied accusations that it was responsible for the
deadly attacks in the two regions.
