The fall and fall of Nnamdi Kanu

If his Jewish priest or Dibia had told the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a few weeks ago that by the end of June he will be cooling off in a Department Of State Services( DSS) facility, I am sure he would have rained invectives on them.

When I heard the minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, had announced the capture of Nnamdi Kanu, I thought it was fake news. Kanu arrested? The demigod and the clown-chief of the Republic; it must definitely be fake news. Then some minutes later, some major TV stations confirmed the news and started running the story.

Even at that, some people were still doubting the story. The government released pictures of Nnamdi Kanu wearing designers and handcuffs. Some clowns started saying the pictures must be photoshopped. Nnamdi Kanu cannot be arrested by the zoo Nigerian authorities.

Let’s go down memory lane. Prior to 2015, I don’t think I had ever heard of the name Nnamdi Kanu. He was an unknown rabble-rouser. However, the federal government brought him to the limelight by arresting him. I think arresting him was an own goal.

Personally, I think the government should have ignored him and by now, he would have fizzled out. The government made him a celebrity overnight and gave him some god-like status among those who still believe in the Biafra dream.

Pointedly, they are many people in the south-east who dream of a Biafra but don’t support Nnamdi Kanu’s methods in achieving that dream. But when he was arrested, he gained more sympathisers, it became a “we versus us”. thing.

He was granted bail as a political solution to bring down the thermometer in the south-east. However, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu flouted all his bail conditions and he was doing it in your face kind of way to the federal government. His home in Abia became a Mecca of sorts.

Subsequently, he jumped bail and was quiet for months. Then he suddenly appeared from his sabbatical and resumed his inciting and hate-filled messages against the Nigerian state.

Sadly also, policemen and formations became a target in the south-east. The era of unknown gunmen in the south-east started. Not less than 30 policemen have been killed in the south-east recently.

I also see it as asinine arguments that why did the government arrest Nnamdi Kanu while we have scores of bandits roaming the streets. I think this line of argument is totally unfair to our brave armed forces who have been battling with insurgents and bandits. You don’t expect them to end or arrest all sponsors of bandits and insurgents in one day.

Granted, they are bad elements among them colluding with the bandits but the whole institution of the military should not be tarred with the same brush. If not for the exploits of the military in the north-east, maybe by now we would have lost the region and be paying homage now to Abubakar Shekau’s caliphate.

I think the trial of Nnamdi Kanu should be followed to its logical conclusion. The government should do all within its powers not to allow anything to happen to Kanu while in custody. Nigeria is yet to recover from the killing of Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf.

Similarly, other troublemakers across the country should be picked by the security agencies. All legitimate aspirations or agitations should follow the rule of law. Violent agitations should be discouraged by all well-meaning Nigerians.

Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, political director at LEADERSHIP Newspapers, can be reached via 08061573299, 08054518774.