The continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu has caused more damage to the Nigerian government than to him, his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, has said.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Emmanuel Kanu described the prolonged incarceration as a “self-inflicted wound” for the government.
He argued that the detention has led to loss of international credibility, citing Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya and the government’s refusal to obey a Court of Appeal ruling that discharged him.
According to him, the South-East has suffered insecurity, sit-at-home orders, killings by unknown gunmen and heavy military presence since Kanu’s incarceration. He claimed the government spends billions weekly deploying soldiers to the region for a problem that dialogue could have resolved more cheaply.
Emmanuel Kanu also alleged that five South-East states lose over N10 billion every Monday in economic activity due to the sit-at-home, amounting to trillions of naira over the years.
He further stated that jailing a leader who advocated a non-violent referendum created a vacuum filled by more radical splinter groups, while Kanu himself has become more influential and is now widely seen as a political prisoner.
“The government tried to silence a man, but amplified his voice worldwide,” he said.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
