Nnamdi kanu explains why he called Nigeria a zoo

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and

founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, described

Nigeria as a zoo and accused Governor Rochas

Okorocha of Islamising Imo State in an interview

he granted an online medium, Sahara Reporters.

He, however, said in one of the statements he

made to the Department of State Services after

he was arrested at a Lagos hotel on October 14,

2015 that he made the said comments in order

to facilitate societal change.

Kanu and two others have been charged with

treason and other related offences on account of

his agitation for the secession of the South-East

and other areas of the country to form a

sovereign state of Biafra.

He confirmed in the statement, dated October

24, 2015, that he made the comments, calling

Nigeria a zoo to justify his belief that the only

language its people understood was violence in

the interview with Sahara Reporters.

He said he also accused Okorocha of Islamising

Imo State in the said interview.

Kanu stated, ''A Sahara Reporters' interview was

played by officers of the DSS on October 24,

2015, as part of my interrogation and I

acknowledged that it was me that gave the

interview and the answers I provided were done

by me.

''As I have earlier stated in past interrogation,

the statements I make are purely designed to

elicit reaction that will facilitate the desired

change which is needed.

''In the interview, I made reference and said,

'the zoo has come to an end, they keep killing

our people…''

''In the interview, I also said 'the language the

people hear in the zoo is violence. If they fail to

give us Biafra, Somalia will be a child's play',

yes, I stated that in the interview.

''Again, I was asked (and I said), 'If they do

not give us Biafra, there would be no one living

in the zoo', yes, I said so.

''I was also asked did I say that Rochas had

Islamised Imo State and I said yes. I was also

asked to confirm that I said that I do not believe

that a peaceful approach to the restoration of

Biafra was viable because I am not aware of

anywhere else in the world where that is the

case considering the history of the countries and

their approach to such issues.''

He also denied belonging to Biafra Zionist

Movement but admitted he believed in the

group's cause.

''I do not belong to Biafra Zionist Movement.

However, I stated my support for its action

because it was a civil act designed to highlight

societal injustice.

''The said act involved a group of civilians

massing at the Government House at Enugu to

hoist the Biafran flag.'' He added.

The 48-year-old, who re-affirmed himself as the

leader of IPOB, also gave an insight into the

leadership structure of the group.

He stated, ''I wish to state for the records that I,

Nnamdi Kanu, is the Leader of the Indigenous

People of Biafra and Director of Radio Biafra

and is in charge of the running of the

organisation. In terms of the organisational

structure, I can confirm that the office of the

Director sits at the apex.''

Kanu said under him was Mazi Udanna Asiegbu.

He added, ''Under him (Asiegbu) is the office of

the CoC, which translates into the Co-ordinator

of Co-ordinators and under him comes the

Continental Representatives and are as follows:

''(1) North America is represented by Mr.

Nnamaram Ugochukwu; South America, by

Leornard Aniemene, who is resident in Trinidad

and Tobago. Mazi Asiegbu is resident in Spain

and Clifford Iroanya, the Coordinator of

Coordinators, is resident in Houston Texas, USA.

''Nnamaram Ugochukwu is resident in Dallas,

Texas. The continent of Europe is represented

by Mazi Edoziem in Switzerland; Asia continent

is represented by Onyinyechi Nlebedim in

Malaysia, while Australia is represented by

Austin Ofomah, who resides in Canberra,

Australia.''

Operatives of the DSS on October 14, 2015,

arrested Kanu at the Golden Tulip Airport Hotel,

where he allegedly checked into using a fictitious

name.

On December 23, the accused persons were

scheduled for arraignment before a Federal High

Court in Abuja, but Kanu refused to take his

plea to the six counts of treason and other

charges instituted against him and his two co-

defendants due to what he called his lack of

confidence in the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed

Mohammed.

The judge promptly returned the case file to the

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice

Ibrahim Auta, for reassignment to another judge

and the three accused persons were returned to

the custody of the DSS.

The Federal Government, through the Federal

Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Mohammed

Diri, alleged in its summary of its case in the

newly filed six counts that the IPOB leader

checked into the hotel using the name, Ezebuiro

Nwannekaenyi, in order to conceal his identity.

Diri stated this in a document listing the

proposed prosecution witnesses lined up to

testify against Kanu and the two others.

Apart from Kanu, one of the two other

defendants in the six counts filed by the Federal

Government is a Field Maintenance Engineer,

David Nwawuisi, of Ericson, who maintains MTN

masts in Enugu State.

The other defendant, Benjamin Madubugwu, was

said to be living in Ubilisiuzo, Ihiala Local

Government Area of Anambra State, where he

allegedly received custody of a container housing

radio transmitters meant for Radio Biafra from

Kanu.

The fresh charges were filed against the three

men barely 24 hours after Justice Adeniyi

Ademola, in a ruling on Kanu’s bail application

on December 17, ordered his unconditional

release from DSS custody having been detained

for about two months without any valid charges

filed against him.

No new date has been fixed for the arraignment

of the accused persons.