Chief Dan Nwanyanwu is a former presidential candidate and founder of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). In this interview, he speaks on the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, why ethnic bias from former President Muhammadu Buhari hindered his release. He urges President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Igbo leaders, among others. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts:

Can you share your thoughts on the issue of Nnamdi Kanu as regards his continued detention?

Hasn’t the court decided on this matter? When it came to the issue of his bail? Before the Court of Appeal? He was discharged and acquitted. So, as far as I’m concerned, you’re starting with the court. I, like most Nigerians, am not persuaded in any manner with what is going on in the courts. And I will not also be persuaded whatever judgment, either way or the other, that comes out from the courts. Because there was a deliberate attempt it seems so when President Buhari was in office. There are people who have committed heinous crimes in this country. They have murdered people. They have kidnapped people. They have raped women. They have killed children. They have done all sorts of things. There are people aiding and abetting them. There are people who have gone to their domain, talking with them. We are aware of helicopters dropping food, dropping ammunition. Nnamdi Kanu did not do any of those. But he’s in detention. So, what was the cause? And I told President Buhari. It was because of the ancient hatred you have against the Igbos. I told President Buhari when he was in office. My position has not changed.

But why am I worried? I told him, “You had ancient hatred against the Igbos. That was why we kept Nnamdi Kanu there. If he was from another tribe, Nnamdi Kanu would not be there.

You’re speaking because you’re of the same extraction. Because there are those who oppose, who don’t have the same view as you have about the situation. There are those who ask questions about those who have taken opportunities on the situation in the South. It’s based on the order, the radio broadcasts, the publications, and the statements that are being made online.

You know what has happened with the man in Finland that has been prosecuted. As soon as that man was being prosecuted, the sit-at-home order and some of the mayhem being unleashed by opportunists of the agitation of Biafra stopped. Southeast is starting to experience some level of peace.

What I’m saying, I said it to the sitting presidents. Whether people agree or not, You know those that love you. You know those who hate you. It’s not because I’m evil. I would have taken the same position if a Yoruba man or Fulani man was involved. My patriotism has no limitations.

What do you think the government of the day will show that a region consisting of five states is under consistent attack, is in distress, and is insecure based on the action and the statement of one person? What do you think they could have done differently?

President Tinubu didn’t cause this problem. He inherited it. President Tinubu has no hand in the detention of Nnamdi Kanu. But what is curious is why he hasn’t taken steps to get him out.

As a lawyer, how easy would that be to establish a non-policy queue on the matter of national security?

What is national security? These are things that people manufacture to justify their positions.

Nnamdi Kanu is facing one of the highest criminal offenses in the whole land.

And that is what?

Terrorism charges against him.

Can you define terrorism?

No, that’s what for the courts.

No, that’s what I’m saying. And all those people that did all the things I aforementioned, none was charged with terrorism. I have explained to you Nnamdi Kanu has the right to peacefully demand for anything for his people. I’m not saying because I’m from there. And that was why I have said it before you. President Tinubu, get him out of this. He has no hand in it. But he is in a position to rectify it. He knew the truth. Why has he not done so? If people are talking about some interest group, people are saying, don’t release him, it will disbalance this, disbalance that. This is somebody, look at what is happening today, he did not talk to anybody. If he was outside, he would say he has sponsored everybody. Sowere that he is taking this on his own now based on his struggles. He is not an Igbo. You were not able to tell Sowere this because he is not Igbo. So, we should forget about all these mundane issues and considerations. What is bad is bad.

What is not good must be condemned, no matter who is involved. President Tinubu, yes, we agree there are some people in the southeast who do not want Nnamdi Kanu out.

Who are those?

There are some top businessmen who are involved in businesses in Abuja, oil and all that. There are some top politicians who are of the view, and which is correct, that if Nnamdi Kanu comes today, there are people whose political career will come to an end permanently. Nnamdi Kanu is loved by the people. It is like when they were chasing Fubara. I told President Tinubu, the issue about 2027, the person to do business with is Fubara. Are you seeing what is happening there now? They have loved, they have loved, organic support. Nnamdi Kanu need not talk to anybody. That is why I am sure that is the pressure that the President is having. But the President is number one. He is the President of Nigeria. And he is the only person that can say, stop, it will stop. You don’t have to take everything that everybody puts to you. When the issue started with this insecurity in the South-East, they raided the prison. We came out to say, no, this was not our deeds. Those people were imported. Security came back to realise it. But what happened next? Because they had been exposed, they started to recruit urchins, uneducated people. People that are not skilled. Locals started training them.

Are you an IPOB apologist?

No. I don’t expect you to come to that conclusion. You know that I believe in Nigeria.

You know the history of IPOB. For those who say legitimately, it started off as a peaceful intention about the agitation of the Igbo.

What brought about IPOB? What happened? You have a region that has been marginalised. They’ve been crying for marginalisation. It wasn’t during the time of President Buhari. President Tinubu has tried to do one or two things. Move some infrastructure and money there. You say you don’t like me? You say you don’t want me. Allow me to go home. You say I won’t go. One must give way. It’s either you bring me to the centre or you let me go. We should stop pretending. That is not what we are talking about. The people are saying they are marginalised.

What is marginalisation? Can you mention one thing …?

There is no federal presence in the southeast. No good roads, no infrastructure.

President Buhari borrowed money to build rails up to Mani, another country. None cross the southeast. But we’re paying the loan back. We’re part and parcel of those paying the loan, and you say it is justice. We have the right to protest. You can’t beat and flog a child and stop the child from crying. The child must cry.

What would have been the best way to handle that situation?

The best way for President Tinubu to sit down, look at the whole thing, find a way to balance these things, bring Nnamdi Kanu out, go and do business with Nnamdi Kanu. Nobody else can do that, apart from the president. If you subdue this one, expect it again and again. You cannot run away from it. Nnamdi Kanu committed no crime. Nnamdi Kanu did nothing. He didn’t kill anybody.

You are a servant before the temple of justice. And you know what it means when the matter is before the court. You cannot say Nnamdi Kanu did nothing when the court is still assessing and trying the matter.

Let me tell you an experience I had in 1992. I was in NIPSS. Part of the programmes in NIPSS, you have local tours, African tours, and outside tours. My group went to Cameroon, then Brazil. When we got to Cameroon, the chief of police when he was given instruction, he said, Mr. President, this order is illegal. I will not obey it. In Cameroon, we need to take the consequences. That thing was boiling before we left. If we get to a point in this country where the right things are not done, Nigerian people will start taking the laws into their own hands.

The reason why I said you are wrong, and you are a very senior lawyer, you know that when a matter is yet to be decided before the court, you don’t take it out of the mouth of justice. Allow the court to have decided the matter. That’s why I said this is not a court of law. The court has not freed Nnamdi Kanu. The court has not decided on the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. It’s still in process. The man is still under detention and the matter is before the court. And I’m saying as a lawyer, you know that it is not right and it’s subjudice for you to now determine for the court on television what the court is still trying at the moment.

You can do what you like. You can say what you like. I have the right to say I don’t believe in what you’re doing. It is my inalienable right. You can use it against me. It’s my right. When I show that everything has been compromised in this country, when nobody can get justice, is it in election matters? And that’s why there’s no development. People are no longer having confidence. Nnamdi Kanu’s case is a case that President Tinubu must address.

How do you think he will address it? Is it a political or judicial manner in which he will address it?

Even from the time President Buhari was here, leaders of thought in Igbo land met him. He dismissed it. That it is in court. Five governors led by Hope Uzodinma, whom they are accusing now, erroneously. They don’t know the job these people are doing to get this man out. But you see, people write nonsense in social media.

So Hope Uzodinma is at the forefront of fighting for Nnamdi Kanu?

Hope Uzodinma and Governor Oti. These are the two people I know very well. Just like the job Hope is doing, people will come and write nonsense. Imo State is now Dubai. The people who go to the internet, those who have not come home for more than five years, they’ll sit down there and write nonsense. They don’t know the job these people are doing. They have told you not to release him. Where are your facts? I have talked about the governors and I have told you about politicians and businessmen who are afraid of Nnamdi Kanu’s release.

I have said it, if they have decided not to release Nnamdi Kanu, bring his body to Igbo square. Let us use him for barbecue. Let his enemies come and chop from the meat so that we can close this matter permanently.

If you were President Tinubu and you decided to release Nnamdi Kanu, how would you go about it?

I would call the Igbo leaders, call the governors, take Nnamdi Kanu, find a non-Igbo police group, hand Nnamdi Kanu to them, and let him do any other nonsense when he comes out. I’ll call the leaders in Igbo land, call all of them. Nnamdi Kanu did not do anything to deserve all these.

Can the leaders in Igbo land actually curtail any exercises that come from the actions of Nnamdi Kanu? Can they control him?

Did Nnamdi Kanu fall from the sky? Did he fall from the sky? Is he a madman? You can see violent madmen and women. You know they fall in love. You see madmen, you aren’t near them. And when they’re falling in love, when they see that they’re in love, they’ll change. They will become ice water. Did they fall from the sky? Every madman has somebody that will talk to him and he will listen.

There are people Nnamdi Kanu listens to.

Call leaders, find a non-Igbo, four leaders in Igbo land. Call the leaders of thoughts and bring them to the villa. “Take their son”. “We are giving him to you.” Release him. If not for the good governors we have in the southeast, nothing will work there. We have the best governors in the region now.

I’m serious, without hesitation. They are outworking. From Oti to Mbah and others. If not, they have frustrated the economy of the place. In a year we lost almost 7 trillion Naira. But they are doing their best to put infrastructure, to empower people and to do those things. Health, education. We have people that work hard. People should stop hating us. The Igbo man is the easiest person to deal with if you have his code.

And what is the code of the Igbo man?

It is not for the public. (Daily Independent)