HRM Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, the traditional ruler of Isiama
Afara, a community in Umuahia, Abia State, speaks with
IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE about his son, Nnamdi Kanu, the
embattled Director of Radio Biafra


Who is Nnamdi Kanu?


Nnamdi Kanu is my son. While growing up, he was a very
bright boy, very intelligent and brilliant and he was very
serious with his studies. He was quite serious-minded for
his age, which obviously informed his decision to leave the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he was studying as an
undergraduate, for Europe, in order to finish his studies,
following delays occasioned by incessant strikes by the
university’s academic and non-academic staff.
Before he left for Europe, he complained to me about the
constant strikes. He was worried that, sometimes, the
school would be shut for more than three months due to
one strike or the other, and he wondered when he would
have time to learn, not to talk of graduating. At that point, he
told me that he wanted to travel abroad to continue his
studies. I was worried; I asked him, ‘Who will you stay with?
Do you know anybody there?’ He said I should not worry,
that there was somebody from our town there in Europe,
who would help him. Incidentally, the said person knew me
and was willing to help Nnamdi because of the relationship
we had. He (the man who helped Nnamdi in Europe) said as
long as the boy was my son, he would be glad to be of help.
He said he would help Nnamdi unconditionally, because,
according to him, there was something I did for him in the
past which he would never forget.
When he got to Europe, the authorities there were impressed
with him and took him up; they gave him admission, noting
that he was very brilliant. It was determination that propelled
him to move to Europe to complete his studies.


Do you have other children apart from Nnamdi?


I have three sons and two daughters but he (Nnamdi) is the
first. The second son is in Germany while the third is in
London. But I told him (third son) to come back home
because my wife and I are the only ones here with their
sisters. He (the third son) is the one we call ‘Fine boy.’


Did Nnamdi show any sign that he would grow up to lead
the type of movement he is leading today?


I used to observe him with his peers, whenever they were
arguing or debating one thing or the other, he would usually
enlighten them, telling the others what was the real fact. He
was very knowledgeable and sometimes his mates would
wonder how he knew more than them. They would ask him,
‘How come you know all these? Where did you get the
information?’ With time, I discovered he was talented,
especially in current affairs and history. He was really
versatile and had vast knowledge on most subjects. Beyond
that, he was a well-behaved boy who always did what was
expected of him.


As a child, was he troublesome, considering his activities
with Indegenous People of Biafra and Radio Biafra?


No, he was not a troublemaker. In fact he went out of his
way to avoid trouble. If anything would cause a quarrel
between him and anybody, he would rather avoid such a
matter. He was actually peace loving and gentle. Also, he
was not a person of many words, he was reserved. But
what I noticed about him, as he was growing up, was that he
detested injustice. He did not like to see a fellow human
being victimised. He would never be part of anything that
involved the persecution, or victimisation of a fellow human
being. He was very straight forward and honest to a fault.
Nnamdi would never see the truth and keep quiet, he would
speak out, not minding the consequences.


What do you think are the reasons behind his involvement
in the struggle for the actualisation of Biafra?


He reads a lot of history, he knows so much about history
and I think that is a major factor. Apart from that, he
witnessed how Ralph Uwazuruike (former leader of the
Movement for the Actualisation of Biafra) was running
MASSOB then. He went there (MASSOB) and found out that
what Uwazuruike was doing was not right. He called
Uwazuruike aside and asked him: ‘The money you are
collecting (in the name of Biafra), can’t you give some of it
to these poor ones among your members so that they can
at least feed themselves and their families?’ Uwazuruike got
angry and asked who gave him (Nnamdi) the right to make
such comments. That led to problems between him and
Uwazuruike.
When Nnamdi came home to get married, Uwazuruike
stormed the venue of the traditional wedding with his people
to disrupt the wedding. Uwazuruike and his group came in
10 buses to cause disturbances at the venue. I was at home
waiting for them to bring the new bride to me, as Igbo
tradition demands, when I got information that Uwazuruike
brought his men to cause trouble there. It got to a point that
the youths from my son’s wife’s community rallied together
to confront Uwazuruike’s boys, captured about 20 of them
and took them to the police. But Nnamdi was beaten up
seriously and he sustained injuries. When he returned home,
I took him to the hospital for treatment. After he recovered,
he swore to go ahead with the struggle for Biafra, but
without Uwazuruike. He said the struggle could be
successfully undertaken in a different way, without it being
used as a means for self-enrichment, as was done by
Uwazuruike. That was how he got involved in the struggle
for Biafra.


How did your son get involved with Uwazuruike in the first
place?


Those days, people were hearing a lot about Uwazuruike
and his activities with MASSOB, and Nnamdi went there
once. I am speaking from what I heard. When Nnamdi went
there (MASSOB) and found out what Uwazuruike was
actually doing, Nnamdi challenged him and they began to
have problems. They nearly killed Nnamdi at that time.
Initially, Nnamdi opened a radio house in Enugu, but
Uwazuruike and his group went there to destroy it. There
were so many other cases. That was how it happened.


Are you saying that Nnamdi fell out with Uwazuruike
because he was not happy with the way Uwazuruike was
going about the pro-Biafra struggle?


The problem was that Uwazuruike was allegedly using the
money he was getting in the name of the pro-Biafra struggle
to enrich himself and develop his estate, but not helping his
members and followers, most of whom were very poor.
Nnamdi did not like that and spoke out but Uwazuruike felt
he was challenging him and decided to fight him. But he
(Uwazuruike) did not know that the more he fought Nnamdi
and tried to destroy him, the more God lifted him (Nnamdi)
up.


As a father, how did you feel when your son formed the
IPOB and started broadcasting pro-Biafra messages on
Radio Biafra?


I am in support of what he is doing. I am not afraid to say
it. If anybody will come out to champion fairness and justice
and fight for the common good, I will definitely support the
person. He is not fighting for his selfish interests and he is
being straight forward; he has kept his hands clean. I am
happy to know that he is not using the struggle to enrich
himself. He has not hurt anybody and I am asking God to
help him.


How did you feel when you learnt that he had been
arrested?


No father will be happy to hear that his child has been
arrested. The first time he was arrested and taken to Abuja,
I left my palace and went to the DSS office in Abuja. The
next day, I was able to meet the person in charge and I
explained my mission that ‘I learnt my son was arrested and
being held.’ Eventually they brought him out of the cell and
released him to me, because he did not do anything. It was
Uwazuruike that set him up. But still, he was tortured before
he was released.


Does it mean Nnamdi had been arrested in the past before
his current incarceration?


Yes.


When was that?


I think it was in 2008 or thereabout.


What was he arrested for then?


His arrest was engineered. Nnamdi was enlightening the
others involved in the pro-Biafra struggle and Uwazuruike
was not happy about that. After that, he (Nnamdi) returned
to London to continue the struggle from there.
Since he formed IPOB and started Radio Biafra, did he visit
Nigeria before his latest arrest and detention?
He has been visiting Nigeria. He visits home and goes back.


What do you think about his current travails, considering the
fact that a court ordered his release at some point but he
was not freed?


I have left everything in God’s hands, because nobody
should be killed for saying the truth. He saw the truth and
said it, is that why he should be killed? He has my backing,
as long as he is saying the truth. If they took him to court
and the court ordered that he should be released on bail and
they refused to release him, is that really democracy? Why
did they refuse to release him on bail? What do they want?
The President should respect the laws of the land, because
he is the one that should defend the laws. My son is just
saying the truth — he has the right of freedom of speech;
they should release him. Nobody should be killed for saying
the truth.


Nnamdi was accused of running an illegal organisation,
among other charges. What are your thoughts on the
charges brought against him by the Federal Government?


I don’t know about the charges levelled against him, they
were just formulated by the government to trap him.
Have you been to the prison or court to see him recently?
I have not been feeling well. I have been going to the
hospital hence, I have not been able to go to see him. But
my other children have been going to see him; two of them
are in Abuja now because of him.


Do you receive messages from him? Do they give you
reports about his condition?


When he was in the custody of the DSS, we had no access
to him but now that he is in the prison yard, it is easier to
reach him. My primary concern is his health, and as long as
he is in good health, I am happy. He usually tells them to
greet me, and inform me that he is in good health.


What do you think about the ongoing protests and rallies
held by the IPOB and MASSOB to demand Nnamdi’s
release?


My message for them is that Nnamdi Kanu was not fighting
for his personal interests; he was fighting for the generality
of the Biafrans. It should not be a crime when somebody
comes out to say that he wants to stay on his own, to be on
his own. It should not cause any quarrel. It is because of
marginalisation against the Igbo that the people of the
South-East and others are supporting him, telling him to
carry on.


It seems that, among the Igbo, only the masses are really
supporting the struggle for Biafra. The elite and those in
public office have been silent. Are you comfortable with
that, considering the fact that your son is at the forefront of
this struggle?


I don’t have anything to say about that, except to point out
that this world is a funny place. It is always the same,
whether one is Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba. When people are in
position where they are getting money, it will be difficult for
them to see a bad thing and speak out. In such positions,
people see bad things and claim all is good. Money and
material things control people. That is all I can say. Some
of them are afraid to speak out because of the positions
they are occupying. They know the truth but are afraid of
losing their positions.


So far, not many political office holders in the South-East,
including governors, have come out publicly to call for
Nnamdi’s release. Are you not worried about that?


It is left for them to do what they want. But all I do is pray
to God Almighty everyday, because all power is in His
hands. I follow the matter on the pages of newspapers and
on the radio everyday.


Does it mean you monitor media reports concerning your
son everyday?


I don’t go out, these newspapers are brought to me
everyday and I follow what is happening. I notice that so
many newspapers report the truth, but some twist the story
to suit certain interests.


How do you feel when you read about your son on the
pages of newspapers?


When I read some accounts between Nnamdi and the
prosecution, I see it as when one is fighting with an enemy.
They will do or say anything to put one down. What one can
do is try one’s best to overcome. The day he refused to
remove the handcuffs in court until his lawyer told him to
mellow down, I got the information from the newspapers.
My children who were in the court also told me about it.


Considering everything, are you proud of your son Nnamdi?


Why shouldn’t I be proud of him? The boy is bold, and he
says the truth. He believes in truth and justice. He is just
like me. Before I became the traditional ruler of this town,
so many obstacles were put in my way by some people,
even though the generality of the people wanted me to be
their traditional ruler. A day to the coronation, some people
struck out my name.


What was their grievance against you?


Some of the people that were with me turned against me,
they vowed that I would not be the Eze. But the governor
then, Orji Uzor Kalu, looked at the list and saw that my name
was not there, thus, he asked about me and that was how I
became the traditional ruler. As you see me here, I don’t
think evil of any human being, even if you wrong me.


Has your son’s activities affected you in any way?


Nnamdi is not fighting for me, he is fighting for the common
good of the Igbo, he is fighting for everybody.


How do your subjects feel about Nnamdi’s activities?


They follow his activities; everybody is talking about his
incarceration. Like I said, he is not fighting for himself or for
me, he is fighting for all of them and they appreciate his
efforts.

Do you believe Igbos should have their own country?

I believe that the Igbo should be free today and tomorrow.
But there are people, even Igbos, who believe Igbos are
better off in Nigeria. They argue that Biafra as a country
might not be economically viable, considering the fact that
the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta may not want to
be part of it.
Anybody who feels that Biafra will not be economically
viable is not knowledgeable. Do you know the amount of
mineral resources in Biafra? There are so many mineral
resources that can sustain Biafra. There are oil producing
areas in Igboland but we know that the Niger Delta will
follow Biafra, even some parts of Yorubaland.


Coming back to Nnamdi’s childhood, was he an extrovert?


Nnamdi was a quiet boy, very reserved, he was not an
extrovert. He never talked back to me or challenged me any
day. He thinks before he talks. He respects his elders.


But he was accused of insulting President Muhammadu
Buhari and some Igbo leaders in his broadcasts on Radio
Biafra.


I don’t know about that, I have not heard that. But the fact is
there are things people will tell you and you will feel they
have insulted you, while they are only giving you advice, or
trying to correct you.


There were reports that Nnamdi’s wife gave birth to a baby
while he was in detention. Is it true?


Yes, she gave birth to a baby almost two months ago.
Has Nnamdi seen the baby yet?


I don’t think so. I have not seen them. But I know it will hurt
him so much.


What do you want at the end of the day?


I am pleading that the government should free him, he did
not commit any crime. Maybe the Federal Government
should come to this area and conduct a plebiscite, and know
the feelings of the people.


Are you saying the Federal Government should conduct a
plebiscite on the Biafra question?

It is left for them, I can’t advise the Federal Government but
I plead with them to please free my son.



http://anambrariansnews.com.ng/?p=24248

What make you think i will read this article





I don dey read am b4 ooooo as is see say e no dey finish, then i give up on the article

Demdem:
By the time the zoo is through with ur son, u would have gone to the great beyond. He won't even be allowed by ur graveside during ur burial. IPOB nonentities will stand for him.

That is if the dullard does not die before him

These people have no clue the extent of political damage Kanu has brought upon the Ibo clan. No clue at all! In their mind they still believe Kanu will one day be released as it happened when Ojukwu was pardoned.

Demdem:


It's on record that those desirous of his early death die first. Be on the look out, Fayose is next. Are u also desirous of his death?

You are already prophesying death for yourself.Last time i checked you were the first person to wish death for someone on this thread.

OPCNAIRALAND:
These people have no clue the extent of political damage Kanu has brought upon the Ibo clan. No clue at all! In their mind they still believe Kanu will one day be released as it happened when Ojukwu was pardoned.

Political damage?
What has changed? Nigeria is still in the hands of the fulani. PDP has zoned the presidency to the north and as a consequence the north would govern Nigeria for the forseable future.
So where is the ''political damage'' and how is it different from before?
The igbo nation is still and should be focused on communal socio-economic devt. That is what your people should be focused on, not kissing political behinds and sliding into almajirization.

Demdem:


Only gullible fools think this way. They can protest all they like in their villages and enclaves. The security forces will continue to enjoy shedding their blood.

Very soon even the security forces will start shedding their own blood.It is only a tree that is told it would cut down yet it does nothing.

Quite a piece.

.

Super Story.

Demdem:
By the time the zoo is through with ur son, u would have gone to the great beyond. He won't even be allowed by ur graveside during ur burial. IPOB nonentities will stand for him.

talking like a tout in animal zoo. The old man will live to see it coming from the land of the rising sun.

OPCNAIRALAND:
These people have no clue the extent of political damage Kanu has brought upon the Ibo clan. No clue at all! In their mind they still believe Kanu will one day be released as it happened when Ojukwu was pardoned.

my friend ,nnamdi kanu has not brough any political damage to the igbos. We re fully in supports of his activities. There re a lot of injustice against the igbos. We have being marginalised by nigerian govt and We re not happy eventhough we re rich via hard-working . Let them do their worst. Only time shall tell.

Demdem:
By the time the zoo is through with ur son, u would have gone to the great beyond. He won't even be allowed by ur graveside during ur burial. IPOB nonentities will stand for him.

Yorubas as usual.

until someone one tells us who is marginalizing the igbos as buhari said. nothing will ever change
#teamONEnigeria

chukwudi44:


You are already prophesying death for yourself.Last time i checked you were the first person to wish death for someone on this thread.

oga park well jare,,everytym kanu..ur mate de outside de huzzle u de dere de kill urself over one man we b se i neva see any of im relatives 4 d protest,,....i tire 4 una,sometimes sef i no de pity people we dem kill again bcus they died out of ignorance...wen i see any of im relatives 4 d protest,i go take una serious....bt 4 nw,leave trash 4 lawma..

Nonsensical nonsense.

Knowledge9000:


Yorubas as usual.

You don suffer that you just scream Yoruba even from your sleep. Buhahahahahaha. You will just kill yourself over nothing.

OPCNAIRALAND:
These people have no clue the extent of political damage Kanu has brought upon the Ibo clan. No clue at all! In their mind they still believe Kanu will one day be released as it happened when Ojukwu was pardoned.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EAST AND WEST IS THAT,EAST BELIEVES POLITICS IS FOR EMACIPATION OF HER PEOPLE, WHILE WEST SEE IT AS A POSITION TO ENJOY.

Demdem:


Only gullible fools think this way. They can protest all they like in their villages and enclaves. The security forces will continue to enjoy shedding their blood.

And yet, you still want to be 'one Nigeria' with them. Try to get some sense

Free Nnamdi Kanu now!!! Nzeogwu is my role model, Dimka is my hero!
Obasanjo is a goat! TY Danjuma should rot in gutter!!!