Nnamdi Kanu

Last updated

Nnamdi Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu.png
Kanu in 2021
Born
Nwannekaenyi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu

(1967-09-25) 25 September 1967 (age 57)
Isiama Afara, Biafra [1]
Citizenship British [2]
Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka [3]
OccupationActivist
Notable work Radio Biafra
Movement Indigenous People of Biafra
SpouseUchechi Okwu Kanu [4]
Website ipob.org

Nnamdi Okwu Kanu // ⓘ (born 25 September 1967) [5] [6] is a British [7] political activist known for advocating for the secession and independence of Biafra from Nigeria. [8] He is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which he founded in 2012. [9] The main aim of IPOB is to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra which existed in Nigeria's Eastern Region during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967–1970. [10] [11]

Contents

As the director of a United Kingdom-registered radio station named Radio Biafra, Kanu propagated Biafran separatism. [12] [13] He was arrested on treason charges in Lagos, Nigeria on 14 October 2015 and was detained for more than a year, despite various court orders that ruled for his release. When in court, Kanu appeared regularly wearing a Jewish prayer shawl and head covering. He said in court, that he "believes in Judaism" and considers himself a Jew. He has led his Biafran people to various Jewish prayers and religious observations on different occasions. [14] On 28 April 2017, Kanu was released from prison on bail. [3] Nigerian security forces attempted to quash IPOB's armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, which culminated in a low-level conflict in early 2021. Despite the fighting, Kanu maintained that IPOB was interested in a peaceful solution and achieving Biafran independence without violence or harm. In June 2021, he was widely reported to have been allegedly re-arrested by Interpol [15] [16] [17] in Kenya and handed over to Nigeria but in April 2024, Interpol denied any involvement in the arrest and consequent rendition to Nigeria. [18] [19]

Early life

Kanu was born 25 September 1967 in Isiama Afara Ukwu, Umuahia — within the claimed territory of the Republic of Biafra a few months after it had declared independence from Nigeria. His father, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu (JP), [20] and his mother, Ugoeze Nnenne Kanu, were Nigerian traditional monarchs. [21] He attended Library Avenue Primary School and went to Government College Umuahia for his secondary education. He studied at University of Nigeria, Nsukka and moved to the UK before graduating. [3]

Early activism

Kanu began his activism for the freedom of Biafra as a Radio Biafra director and anchor of Biafra awareness under Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), who said while in a meeting in Kaduna, Nigeria on 12 June 2014, that he handed over Radio Biafra to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB but Kanu disappointed him. [22] Radio Biafra however, was established by the defunct Biafran government in 1967 with the aim of championing the Biafran cause. Kanu was a relatively obscure figure until 2009 when he started Radio Biafra, a station that called for an independent state for the Igbo people and broadcast to Nigeria from London. [11] In 2014, he founded IPOB. [11] On 5 September 2015, Nnamdi Kanu was a guest speaker at the World Igbo Congress which was held in Los Angeles, where he told his audience "we need guns and we need bullets". [23]

Imprisonment

Arrest

On 18 October 2015, it was reported that Kanu had been arrested in Lagos State by Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS). [24] [25] Kanu had told his solicitors that on 14 October 2015, he was arrested by the agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the State Security Service (SSS), in his hotel room at the Golden Tulip Essential Hotel Ikeja, Lagos State. [26] The solicitors in a press briefing said, between 14 and 17 October 2015 their client's whereabouts were unknown until 18 October 2015, when the press media broke the news of his arrest and detention by the SSS in Abuja. [26] The news of the arrest of Kanu generated protests across Delta State, Enugu State, Rivers State, Cross River State, Abia State, Imo State, Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State and Anambra State. [27]

Detention

On 19 October 2015, it was reported that Nnamdi Kanu had been granted bail [28] after a secret arraignment at Magistrate Court, Wuse 11. [29] However, the bail seemed "controversial" and there were claims the DSS announced the bail only "to calm the angry people of Biafra". [30]

Court jurisdiction

The Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Abuja on 18 November 2015 ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce Kanu at the court on 23 November 2015. [31] However, it was reported the Department of State Services (DSS) obtained a "secret court order to detain Nnamdi Kanu". [32] [33] [34] Kanu's lawyer, Vincent Obetta, in an interview said whilst in court, the prosecutor gave him a document containing a court order permitting the Department of State Services (DSS) to detain Kanu for the next three months to "conclude what they said was an investigation of terrorism and terrorism financing". [35]

Court trial

Kanu was finally arraigned on 23 November 2015 in an Abuja Magistrate Court for the first time [36] [37] for charges of "criminal conspiracy, intimidation and membership of an illegal organisation" by Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS). The charges violate "Section 97, 97B and 397" of Nigeria's penal code. [38] [39] Chief Magistrate S. Usman had, at the last adjourned date, berated the Department of State Services (DSS) over its failure to produce Kanu in court on the two consecutive times the matter came up before the court. [40] Meanwhile, Kanu's supporters stormed Nigeria's capital city of Abuja in luxury buses on a peaceful protest for their leader who was arraigned by the Federal Government before the Wuse Zone 2 Magistrate Court, Abuja on 23 November 2015. [41] [42] Pro-Biafra protesters with placards sang and danced outside the court premises whilst the hearing proceeded. Protesters wore T-shirts and caps with inscriptions like "Biafra Now or Never", "Buhari Release Kanu For Us", "On Biafra We Stand". More protests by IPOB members numbering over 15,000 grounded vehicular movements in the southeastern key economic city of Onitsha concurrently. It was the same with over 20,000 protesters in Aba, Abia State on the same day. [40]

Kanu, through his counsel, filed an application asking the federal authorities to transfer him from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to prison. His lawyer, Obetta, insisted that transferring his client to prison would enable him to have easy access to his legal team. [40]

Whilst in court, the Department of State Services (DSS) requested the Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates' Court, to discontinue the trial of Nnamdi Kanu under section 108(1) of administration of criminal justice act 2015. [43] Idakwo further said the Department of State Services (DSS) had obtained an order from the Federal High Court, Abuja, dated 10 November, to detain the accused in its custody for 90 days. [43] However, Kanu's lawyer Obetta objected to the continued detention of his client. Obetta prayed the court not to discontinue the case because the prosecution did not present any information from the Attorney-General of Nigeria Federation who had the authority to approve such. Obetta also told the court that "the DSS violated the order of the court which granted bail that was perfected but not granted, adding that the accused had been in Department of State Services (DSS) custody since he was arrested." [43] The court's magistrate, Usman Shuaibu, after listening to both counsels, adjourned the matter until 1 December 2015 for ruling. [43]

Prison release and disappearance

On 20 October 2015, Vanguard announced that Kanu had been released on bail. However, media sources supporting the objectives of IPOB called the bail "controversial" and claimed the DSS announced the bail only "to calm the angry people of Biafra". [30] Kanu has finally been released on bail by Justice Binta Nyako for health reasons.

Kanu disappeared from public view after his home was raided by the Nigerian military, in September 2017, [44] an event which led to the deaths of 28 IPOB members. [45] [46] Not being seen in public for over a year, there was wide-ranging speculation regarding his whereabouts, with members of the IPOB accusing the Buhari government of having abducted him. However, in October 2018, unattributed photographs and videos, apparently placing him in Israel, were widely circulated on social media, [47] and this was later confirmed by mainstream media. [48]

Despite him resurfacing, his exact location and living place continued to remain unclear over the next years. [15]

Continued activism

In an interview in June 2017, Kanu demanded bullets and guns from a group of US-based Nigerians for self-defense against the incessant attacks on Igbos by the Fulani herdsmen which were currently reoccurring in Biafra lands. [49]

Kanu's pronounced strategy has been the application of civil disobedience in pressing home his demand for the freedom of his people. In various air broadcasts, Nnamdi Kanu stated how his adoption of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi's forms of civil disobedience will lead to the "restoration of Biafra". In an interview granted to Newsweek , Nnamdi Kanu opined his belief in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, "I hope that what we are looking for can be accomplished peacefully. I am an advocate of passive resistance. Gandhi and Martin Luther King tried it to very good effects, so why should it not work in our case?"

Prior to the 2019 presidential election, IPOB had threatened to boycott the election. According to the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, "It [the boycott] is a multi-faceted approach. It is civil disobedience, passive resistance, it is an expression of our resentment of Nigeria and what it represents". His position on election boycotts was widely criticised by local Nigerian politicians who argued to the contrary. On the eve of the election, Nnamdi Kanu lifted the boycott position and urged Biafrans to participate in the election after which he described as his condition as "signed, sealed and delivered". [50] His shift was received in different quarters as being open to the appeal and opinions of others.

Insurgency and second arrest

In December 2020, Kanu announced that IPOB had organized the Eastern Security Network (ESN) which was supposed to defend southeastern Nigerians from bandits and armed Fulani herders. Kanu later gave all the governors of southeast Nigeria 14 days to ban open-grazing, threatening to deploy the ESN to enforce a ban if the authorities did not do so. [51] [52]

The Nigerian government regarded the formation of a non-state-sanctioned paramilitary organization as unacceptable and moved to suppress the group. The situation escalated in January 2021 when the Nigerian military was repelled in an attempt to expel the ESN from Orlu, Imo. Before another offensive was launched, Kanu ordered the ESN to withdraw to the bush, temporarily ending the confrontation. [53] The Nigerian army and air force renewed hostilities on 18 February by launching a military offensive against the ESN; the next day, IPOB declared that as of 18 February, a state of war had existed between Nigeria and Biafra. [54] [52] [15] [16] IPOB and other Biafran separatist groups consequently began to mobilize and fight the security forces across several southern Nigerian states. Despite this, Kanu maintained that IPOB was interested in a non-violent solution of the conflict and that ESN was supposed to fight bandits, not the Nigerian security forces. [55] Regardless, Nigerian authorities designated IPOB as terrorist organization and claimed that Kanu was inciting violence. [15] [16]

On 27 June 2021, Kanu was allegedly arrested in Kenya [17] or possibly another location [56] [57] by Interpol and extradited to Nigeria where he is supposed to face trial. However, Interpol in 2023 denied any involvement in the arrest. [15] [16] [17] [56] [58] Kanu's brother claimed that he had been arrested by the Kenyan police. Kenyan High Commissioner Wilfred Machage refuted this claim, stating that Kenyan authorities had not been involved in the arrest and challenged anyone to present evidence proving otherwise. When the BBC attempted to request information from Interpol's office in Abuja, the latter did not answer the calls. [17]

Kanu's arrest has sparked anger among Biafran separatists and other Nigerians supportive to his cause. The World Igbo Congress (WIC) declared the arrest "illegal abduction and international gangsterism". [59] Following his arrest, questions had been raised over what was termed "Kanu's disregard of the Nigerian constitution" to abscond bail in 2017. On the occasion of his arraignment in court on 29 June 2021, Kanu told the presiding judge that the Nigerian military forced him to flee the country in 2017. [60] The trial began in October 2021, with Kanu being accused of "terrorism, treason, involvement with a banned separatist movement, inciting public violence through radio broadcasts, and defamation of Nigerian authorities through broadcasts". He pleaded non-guilty in all cases. The proceedings were accompanied by protests and general strikes organized by his supporters. [61]

On 19 January 2022, Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court ruled that the 2017 arrest of Kanu was unlawful and an infringement on his human rights, and that his abduction and forceful return to Nigeria was "illegal" under local and international laws. Anya also ruled that the Nigerian government should pay Kanu a sum of N1billion as a compensation for the violation of his fundamental human rights. [62] Despite this ruling, Kanu remained under arrest and the trial continued, as the other charges were still discussed and prosecutors added further charges. Ikemesit Effiong, researcher at a political risk analysis firm, argued that an ultimate conviction of Kanu remained likely, as the "political will exists to make an example of a separatist leader who has caused the central government more than its fair share of headaches". [63]

In December 2023, Nigeria's Supreme Court reinstated terrorism charges against Kanu. [64] As of 2024, his lead counsel is barrister Aloy Ejimakor. [65] [66] In mid-2024, a number of Nigerian politicians argued for Kanu's release. [67] [68]

Controversies

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
@MaziNnamdiKanu
 Logo of Twitter.svg

"I have not seen this kind of country; how do we live like ANIMALS" - Emir of Daura.

Call a spade a spade. It’s not a country; it’s a #Zoo. But there’s an alternative: #Biafra

25 January 2021 [69]

Kanu has since the beginning of his advocacy made highly controversial comments on various occasions.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biafra</span> Partially recognised state in West Africa (1967–1970)

Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group. Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency, following a series of ethnic tensions and military coups after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom. The Nigerian military proceeded in an attempt to reclaim the territory of Biafra, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War. Biafra was officially recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Zambia while receiving de facto recognition and covert military support from France, Portugal, Israel, South Africa and Rhodesia. After nearly three years of war, during which around two million Biafran civilians died, president Ojukwu fled into exile in Ivory Coast as the Nigerian military approached the capital of Biafra. Philip Effiong became the second president of Biafra, and he oversaw the surrender of Biafran forces to Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian Civil War</span> 1967–1970 civil war in Nigeria

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. Nigeria was led by General Yakubu Gowon, and Biafra by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu. The conflict resulted from political, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded the United Kingdom's formal decolonisation of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and anti-Igbo pogroms in the Northern Region. The pogroms and the exodus of surviving Igbos from the Northern Region to the Igbo homelands in the Eastern Region led the leadership of the Eastern Region to conclude that the Nigerian federal government would not protect them and that they must protect themselves in an independent Biafra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umuahia</span> Capital city of Abia State, Nigeria

Umuahia is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south, and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nigerian census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra</span> Nigerian political party

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is a secessionist movement in Nigeria, associated with Igbo nationalism, which supports the recreation of an independent state of Biafra. It was founded in 1999 and is led by an Indian-trained lawyer Ralph Uwazuruike, with headquarters in Okwe, in the Okigwe district of Imo State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Biafra</span> History of the flag of the Republic of Biafra (c. 1967 - 1970)

The flag of Biafra, used by the Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), consists of a horizontal tricolour of red, black, and green, charged with a golden rising sun over a golden bar. The eleven rays of the sun represent the eleven former provinces of Biafra. The rays are typically long and slender with the lowest rays being nearly horizontal and the remaining rays spread evenly between.

Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe is a Nigerian politician who has served as the senator representing Abia South senatorial district since 2007. He previously served as deputy governor of Abia State from 1999 until his resignation and subsequent impeachment in March 2003. He was the minority leader in the 9th senate.

Ralph Uwazuruike is a Nigerian activist. He is the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB); a group canvassing for the secession and sovereignty of Eastern Nigeria. He holds degrees in Political Science from Punjab University, India, and Law from Bombay University, India. Uwazuruike adopts the principle of nonviolence as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., as the philosophy of the struggle. He has been detained several times and charged with treason in Nigerian courts. On 28 April 2010, he was visited in prison by Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu and his wife, Bianca.

Radio Biafra, also known as Voice of Biafra, is a radio station and a trademark that was founded by the defunct Republic of Biafra. It was operated by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader and Alphonsus Uche Okafor-Mefor who served as the deputy director. It is believed to have its first transmission before the Nigeria-Biafra war, the radio station was instrumental in the broadcast of speeches and propaganda by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to the people of the Republic of Biafra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous People of Biafra</span> Separatist group in Nigeria

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra, a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was subsequently dissolved following its defeat in 1970. Since 2021, IPOB and other Biafran separatist groups have been fighting a low-level guerilla conflict in southeastern Nigeria against the Nigerian government. The group was founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu who has been the leader and Uche Mefor, who served as the deputy leader.

The 2015–2016 Killing of Biafran Protesters refers to the killing of demonstrators demanding the restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Biafra by Nigerian security forces, especially the Nigerian army, across the southeastern parts of Nigeria. The demonstrations were spearheaded by several separatist movements. In addition, residents of the above-mentioned region have often been subjected to conditions synonymous with those obtainable in a Police State.

Nimbo is a border town in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, Nigeria, where seven villages- Ekwuru, Nimbo-Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ebor, Enugu-Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara were invaded, and scores massacred by over 500 armed Fulani herdsmen, rated the fourth deadliest terror group in the world, in the early hours of April 25, 2016. Uzo Uwani has boundaries with the Southern States of Ebonyi and Anambra, and Central States of Benue and Kogi, where these attacks have increased lately.

The 2016Niger Delta conflict is an ongoing conflict around the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in a bid for the secession of the region, which was a part of the breakaway state of Biafra. It follows on-and-off conflict in the Christian-dominated southern Niger Delta in the preceding years, as well as an insurgency in the Muslim-dominated northeast.

The South East is the one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria representing both a geographic and political region of the country's inland southeast. It comprises five states – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a military organization that fights for the independence of Ambazonia, a self-declared independent state in the Anglophone regions of the former Southern Cameroons, Cameroon. It was formally established by the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) on 9 September 2017, the same day as the organization declared a war of independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria</span> Conflict in Nigeria (2021–present)

The insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria is a military conflict that broke out in the city of Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria on 16 January 2021, when the Nigerian Army moved to crush the paramilitary wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The conflict escalated after the ESN managed to repulse the initial push by the Nigerian Army, but IPOB ended the initial crisis by unilaterally withdrawing the ESN from Orlu. After a few weeks of quiet, Nigeria launched a military offensive in the area to destroy the ESN. On 19 February 2021, IPOB declared that as of the day before, a state of war existed between Nigeria and Biafra. Three weeks later, another separatist group declared the formation of a Biafran interim government which was subsequently endorsed by IPOB. Since then, the Biafran separatists have begun to form alliances with other separatist groups in Nigeria and Cameroon. Despite these developments, the separatists claimed that their militant operations were mainly aimed at defending local communities from armed herders and bandits instead of fighting the Nigerian government. In late June, IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by Interpol and handed over to Nigerian authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Security Network</span> Paramilitary organization in Nigeria

The Eastern Security Network (ESN) is the paramilitary organization of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a pro-Biafra separatist movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2022 Anambra State killings</span> 2022 series of attacks in Nigeria

In May 2022, militants reportedly associated with IPOB, a Biafran separatist group, murdered 14 civilians in a series of attacks in Anambra State. Among the victims were a pregnant woman as well as children. The killings were part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Ekpa</span> Finnish politician, businessman and Biafran political activist

Ekpa Simon Njoku, generally known as Simon Ekpa, is a Finnish politician and Biafran political activist. In 2022, while in Finland, he declared the activation of the Biafra Government In Exile (BGIE), and in 2023 declared himself the leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).

Alphonsus Uche Okafor-Mefor also known as Uche Mefor is a British-Nigerian pro-Biafra political activist. He was the deputy director of Radio Biafra and former deputy leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biafra Referendum</span> Ongoing referendum by Biafran activist

The Biafra Referendum, otherwise known as the Biafra self-referendum, is an ongoing self-determination poll organized and conducted by the Biafra Republic Government in Exile to determine the declaration of the restoration of Biafra, a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970.

References

  1. ↑ "While answering question on why he travels with the Nigerian passport, the IPOB leader said "Nigeria is not my country, I was born a Biafran, my birth certificate reads Biafra and no one has ever changed that". Sun News. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ↑ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerian-judge-denies-separatist-leader-kanu-bail-second-time-2024-05-20/ [ bare URL ]
  3. 1 2 3 Hegarty, Stephanie (5 May 2017). "Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu: The man behind Nigeria's separatists". London, UK: BBC . Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Nnamdi Kanu's wife speaks: 'My husband is a prisoner of conscience'". International Business Times. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Fani kayode Sends Birthday Greetings to Nnamdi Kanu @52". akelicious.net. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  6. ↑ Mahr, Krista (30 April 2019). "The dream of Biafra lives on in underground Nigerian radio broadcasts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 November 2019. A frequent voice on Radio Biafra is its founder, 51-year-old Nnamdi Kanu, who is patched in from London.
  7. ↑ Camillus, Eboh (20 May 2024). "Nigerian judge denies separatist leader Kanu bail for the second time". Reuters .
  8. ↑ "I'm a British citizen, ask Buhari to release me; Nnamdi Kanu tells UK". Vanguard News. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Leavitt, Jericho (8 November 2023). "Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)". The Modern Insurgent. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  10. ↑ Allison, Simon (6 October 2017). "Mystery of the missing Biafran separatist". The M&G Online. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 "Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu: The man behind Nigeria's separatists". BBC News. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Nigeria police shoot Biafra supporters". BBC News. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  13. ↑ Freeman, Colin (21 January 2017). "The man fighting for independence of the West African nation of Biafra... from a flat in Peckham". The Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  14. ↑ "What's An Igbo 'Jewish High Priest' Doing at Center of Political Drama in Nigeria?". The Forward. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "Biafran separatist leader arrested and will face trial, Nigeria says". Reuters. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Nnamdi Kanu: Nigeria arrests Biafra separatist leader". BBC. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Where was Nnamdi Kanu arrested?: Ipob leader arrest extradition location - Wetin we sabi". BBC (in Nigerian Pidgin). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  18. ↑ "INTERPOL Says It's Not Aware, Not Involved In Rendition Of IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu From Kenya". Sahara Reporters. 30 April 2024.
  19. ↑ "Appeal Court: Nnamdi Kanu contends with Abuja court over trial jurisdiction". InflowPost. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "I'm proud of Nnamdi Kanu, he's just like me — Father". Punch Newspapers. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was born on 25th September 1967 in the heat of the Biafra War. He was issued a Biafran Birth Certificate, becoming a Biafran Citizen by Birth.'". Biafra Twitter. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  22. ↑ "Uwazuruike: I handed over Radio Biafra to Kanu but he allowed politicians to hijack it". TheCable. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  23. ↑ Egbejule, Eromo; Anyadike, Obi (16 December 2016). "Nigeria fails to come to grips with separatist 'New Biafra'". IRIN . Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  24. ↑ "Nigeria Protesters Demand Release of Jailed Radio Biafra Director". VOA News. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  25. ↑ Uguru, Hilary (19 October 2015). "Nigerian intelligence arrests Biafran separatist leader". Yahoo News . Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  26. 1 2 Sahara Reporters (14 November 2015). "Nnamdi Kanu's Lawyer Issues Statement on DSS And Efforts To Release Him From Detention". saharareporters.com.
  27. ↑ "Radio Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu reportedly arrested". Vanguard News. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  28. ↑ Vanguard Nigeria (19 October 2015). "Breaking: Radio Biafra's Nnamdi Kanu Granted Bail". vanguardngr.com.
  29. ↑ Vanguard Nigeria (24 October 2015). "DSS refuse to produce Radio Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu – Lawyer". vanguardngr.com.
  30. 1 2 Ludovica Iaccino (21 October 2015). "Nnamdi Kanu: Ipob leader whereabouts unknown despite Nigeria security forces claiming he is on bail". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  31. ↑ "Biafra: Court Orders DSS to Produce Nnamdi Kanu Nov.23". This Day Live, Nigeria. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015– via thisdaylive.com.
  32. ↑ "Biafra: DSS springs surprise, obtains secret court order to detain Nnamdi Kanu for 90 days". News Express Nigeria. 19 November 2015 – via newsexpressngr.com.
  33. ↑ "Pro-Biafra Protest Grounds Aba". Daily Times, Nigeria. 9 November 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015– via /dailytimes.com.ng.
  34. ↑ "Pro-Biafra Activists Continue Protests in Aba". The Guardian. 10 November 2015 – via www.ngrguardiannews.com.
  35. ↑ Iaccino, Ludovica (20 November 2015). "Nigeria: State 'obtains court order' to detain Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu for next three months" – via uk.news.yahoo.com.
  36. ↑ Vanguard, Nigeria (23 November 2015). "Breaking: Nnamdi Kanu finally appears in Court". /vanguardngr.com.
  37. ↑ IBTimes, UK (23 November 2015). "Nigeria: Radio Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu appears in court despite death rumours". /ibtimes.co.uk.
  38. ↑ "Biafra protests in Nigeria driven by poverty, neglect, injustice". AFP. 20 November 2015.
  39. ↑ Premium Times, Nigeria (23 November 2015). "Biafra: SSS seeks transfer of Nnamdi Kanu's case to higher court". /premiumtimesng.com.
  40. 1 2 3 Vanguard, Nigeria (24 November 2015). "Biafra: Transfer me to prison custody, Kanu begs court". vanguardngr.com.
  41. ↑ Vanguard, Nigeria (23 November 2015). "Photos: Protest in Abuja, as FG arraigns Nnamdi Kanu in Court". vanguardngr.com.
  42. ↑ The Sun, Nigeria (23 November 2015). "Pro-Biafra protesters storm Abuja as SSS arraigns Kanu in court". sunnewsonline.com.
  43. 1 2 3 4 Vanguard, Nigeria (23 November 2015). "DSS asks court to discontinue Kanu's trial". /vanguardngr.com.
  44. ↑ "TIMELINE: Nnamdi Kanu's long battle with Nigerian government continues". 27 July 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  45. ↑ "Nigeria: At least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra activists killed in chilling crackdown". www.amnesty.org. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  46. ↑ Tayo, Sola; Mbah, Fidelis (9 November 2017). "Calls for Biafran Independence Return to South East Nigeria". Chatham House. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  47. ↑ "Nnamdi KANU Resurfaces in Jerusalem 1 year after mysterious disappearance". Pulse Ng.[ permanent dead link ]
  48. ↑ "Nigerian separatist leader admits he's in Israel, says owes life to Jewish state". The Times of Israel .
  49. ↑ Chijioke, Jannah (27 June 2017). "Biafra: Why I asked for guns from US-based Nigerians – Nnamdi Kanu". Daily Post . Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  50. ↑ Onyeji, Ebuka (15 February 2019). "Nigeria: IPOB - Nnamdi Kanu 'Calls-Off' Election Boycott". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  51. ↑ IPOB gives Southeast governors 14 days ultimatum to ban open grazing, The Nation, 30 Jan 2021. Accessed 30 Jan 2021.
  52. 1 2 Nigerian Soldiers Resigned To Join Kanu's Eastern Network – Military Sources, Sahara Reporters, 22 January 2021. Accessed 22 January 2021.
  53. ↑ Orlu: Nnamdi Kanu orders ESN to ceasefire against Army, watchful of Fulani herdsmen, Daily Post, 28 Jan 2021. Accessed 28 Jan 2021.
  54. ↑ Second Nigeria/Biafra War Has Just Started But We Will Defend Our Land — IPOB , Sahara Reports, 19 Feb 2021. Accessed 20 Feb 2021.
  55. ↑ Seun Opejobi (10 June 2021). "IPOB clears air on killing 128 security personnel in Imo". Daily Post. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  56. 1 2 "How Nigeria arrested secessionist leader Nnamdi Kanu". DW. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  57. ↑ THEWILL_ (29 June 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Finally In DSS Custody, Nnamdi Kanu Arrested In Ethiopia" . Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  58. ↑ "FG grants Nnamdi Kanu access to lawyer". 774. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  59. ↑ "World Igbo Congress: Kanu was abducted, treated worse than Boko Haram members". TheCable. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  60. ↑ "I might have been killed if I did not leave Nigeria, Nnamdi Kanu tells court". TheCable. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  61. ↑ Timothy Obiezu (22 October 2021). "Nigeria Separatist Leader Pleads Not Guilty to Charges at Start of Trial". VOA. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  62. ↑ "BREAKING Court Declares Nnamdi Kanu's Arrest As Illegal, Orders Nigerian Government To Pay Him N1billion". Saharara Reporters. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  63. ↑ "Nigerian court adjourns trial of separatist leader again". al-Jazeera. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  64. ↑ "Nigeria's Supreme Court reinstates terrorism charges against separatist leader". AP News. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  65. ↑ "Ejimakor reacts to Nnamdi Kanu's demands in court". Vanguard . 18 April 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  66. ↑ "Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer hails US for condemning IPOB leader's detention in report". Vanguard . 27 April 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  67. ↑ Ugwu, Chinagorom (30 June 2024). "Peter Obi calls for Nnamdi Kanu's release". Premium Times . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  68. ↑ Majeed, Bakare (23 June 2024). "'50 Nigerian lawmakers' write Tinubu, seek Nnamdi Kanu's release". Premium Times . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  69. ↑ Kanu, Nnamdi [@MaziNnamdiKanu] (25 January 2021). ""I have not seen this kind of country; how do we live like ANIMALS" - Emir of Daura. Call a spade a spade. It's not a country; it's a #Zoo. But there's an alternative: #Biafra" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 September 2021– via Twitter.
  70. ↑ Mpi, Nwokoye. "Nigeria: Who is Nnamdi Kanu? From Biafra secession, to follower incitation". The Africa Report . Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  71. 1 2 Opejobi, Seun (29 September 2017). "Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu is a terrorist, he once asked IPOB members to kill Yorubas – Group". Daily Post. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  72. ↑ "Nnamdi Kanu Threatens To Kill Obasanjo". Sahara Reporters. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  73. 1 2 Ojo, Fola (2 July 2021). "Nnamdi Kanu: An idea that may never die". The Punch . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  74. ↑ Omokri, Reno. "What would life be as a minority in Kanu's Biafra?". Vanguard . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  75. ↑ "Twitter deletes Nnamdi Kanu's post for 'violating rules'". The Cable. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.