By Fred Chukwuelobe
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has just declared the Independent People of Biafra ( IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu a “terrirust organisation”.
Who is a terrorist? What is a terrorist organisation? Who declares who or which a terrorist organisation?
Before you attempt answers, know that by definition, terrorism is “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal”. A terrorist organisation, therefore, is a group of people which does this. Is IPOB guilty of this? Is it then a terrorist organisation?
Second, has the DHQ the powers to declare IPOB “a terrorist organisation”? Who has the powers to declare any group a terrorist organisation?
While you’re searching for answers, let me state again what I had said before. Nnamdi Kanu is a product of hate. Yes, he was made popular by the hatred our president showed towards Ndigbo.
Why do I say so? I listened to “Radio Biafra” run by Kanu once. I tuned off because, as far as I was concerned, he was abusing people and making no sense. I would not have cared about him and would not have wasted my precious time on such abuses, but enter our president who ordered his arrest. He was charged with treason and the court granted him bail, but our government will not obey the court. Then some unarmed youths, who demanded his release after the courts had ordered that he be granted bail, were shot and scores killed. He thus began to attract sympathy and international attention. Today, he’s no longer that little brat who was abusing everybody on his radio; he’s become, to many, a freedom fighter. Don’t forget that “one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter”.
So, what am I saying? If our president had listened to wise counsel, if our security forces had ignored this young man, we won’t be here today. Who says abuses kill? Come to Lagos and you’d get doses of it. “God punish you”. “Thunder fire you”. “You’re mad”. And other curses and abuses said in native tongues. Who has ever suffered from such abuses? Nobody.
Kanu has become a monster of sorts. He commands large followership of mostly unemployed youths. He’s supported by many elites, some of who are also aggrieved because of the manifest marginalization of his people.
But rather than address the perceived injustice, our president declared that he has no time for the 5 per cent of us that voted for him when he has to, first, satisfy the 95 per cent that elected him. Mr. President, I am one of the 5 per cent. Do you expect me to be happy? Of course, no.
But I don’t support IPOB. I don’t approve of its activities and utterances. But I sure don’t approve of government’s tactics in tackling them. The government could have done better to contain the upsurge of the restiveness that arose from the marginilazation of Igbos. Rather than do that, our presudent continued by excluding the South East from appointments. You can argue that others were excluded too. But Igbos are of a major tribe, and there are just tree of such.
Finally, was DHQ right in declaring IPOB a “terrorist organisation”? I am not a lawyer. So, I leave the answers to lawyers.
The government has to rethink its strategy and come up with a solution that will de-escalate the situation. I am for a peaceful resolution of the crises because our country needs peace now more than ever before. But peace is a expensive product that can only be purchased by tact, equal rights and justice.
Let reason and common sense prevail.
*Source: Facebook