Alaigbo Under Siege

By News Express on 05/12/2016

Officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force have in the past 14 months (October 2015 - December 2016) “criminally pocketed not less than N9.13 billion from roadblock extortion in their various roadblocks in the Southeast zone,” rights activists from the zone claimed on Monday morning.

The claim was part of a detailed statement opposing the deployment of troops to the Southeast in an exercise the Military High Command tagged “Operation Python Dance”.
The statement was issued in Onitsha by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) in collaboration with the Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs), an umbrella body of 10 social rights groups.

According to the statement, a recent update by Intersociety “on road crimes committed by police and military personnel (i.e. army and navy) clearly showed that there are not less than 200 military roadblocks and 1,000 police roadblocks on Southeast Roads as at 4th of December 2016; (27) that in those roadblocks, various forms of extortion are applied to rob the motorists and other road users at official gunpoint.”

The statement claimed that “while soldiers and navy use structured form of extortion (i.e. hiring of civilians or garage touts to forcefully collect tolls on their behalf), the police use open method or direct extortion at gunpoint. The choice of Southeast Roads is because of its blue-collar nature or high commercial and cash transactions.”

Continuing, the statement said: “Our updated checks as at today show that there are not less than 250 police roadblocks on Anambra’s Federal and State Roads as well as its city roads and that each police roadblock extorts minimum of N50 note and average of N100 note from each commercial motorist; translating to at least N30,000 for each police roadblock per day; N7.5 million daily from not less than 250 police roadblocks; N225 million monthly and N2.7 billion per year; that the same facts and circumstances are applicable to Abia State; another major blue-collar state after Anambra State; with its 250 police roadblocks criminally pocketing N2.7 billion per year; that Imo State; a lesser blue-collar state, has at least 200 police roadblocks to its name; with each police roadblock pocketing not less than N15,000 daily; N3 million for its 200 police roadblocks per day, N90 million per month and N1.08 billion per annum.

“That Enugu and Ebonyi states with relatively white-collar or civil service sub culture, have at least 300 police roadblocks to their names on average of 150 each; and each of the police roadblock criminally pockets at least N15,000 per day and N4.5 million for the 300 police roadblocks per day; N135 million per month and N1.62 billion per year; on average of N810 million for each of the two states; that in all, the police personnel at over 1,000 police roadblocks mounted on Southeast Roads have between January 2016 and December 2016 criminally collected and pocketed from Southeast commercial road users a total of N8.1 billion; with Anambra State accounting for N2.7 billion; Abia State N2.7 billion; Imo State N1.08 billion; Enugu State N810 million; and Ebonyi State N810 million; (37) that added to N1.03 billion criminally collected and pocketed between 21st October and 21st December 2015 by not less than 750 police roadblocks then on Southeast Roads; the total roadblock theft by the Nigeria Police Force in the past 14 months from Southeast Roads is N9.13 billion.”

We hear that operation Python Dance was ended late December 2016. Nevertheless, that has not ended the siege on poor innocent people in Igbo land. What’s going on? Must our noses be rubbed in dirt before Nigeria will let us be?Southeast needs to be free. The Igbo man must not be yoked this way.

Herdsmen or Killers? Enugu Massacre

Bloodbath in Enugu as Fulani herdsmen kill 40

Catholic church,11 houses burnt

It’s a national issue, not ethnic —OKOROCHA

Cattle owners, not herdsmen, should be questioned—OHANAEZE

Overview of the report

In a report written by Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinenyeh Ozor reporting from Nsukka on a situation that threatens every Igbo community and Nigeria, about 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, sources told Vanguard at Nsukka Police Area Command, near the area yesterday. The incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack. About seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked. Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt by the herdsmen just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed. A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo.

A victim’s story

Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack. Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. “They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.” He said one of them later discovered that he was alive and called on the others to finish him off. They ignored him. He said he crawled until a good samaritan helped him to the hospital. Dead bodies litter hospitals Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community. So far, six dead bodies have been recovered and deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, while others, who sustained injuries were rushed to Royal Cross Hospital and Enugu State District Hospital, Nsukka. Meanwhile, villagers and other residents of the area were fleeing the town.

It’s a national issue—OKOROCHA

In its reaction to the development, the South-East Governors Forum, said what happened at Ukpabi-Nimbo is like any other national issue that deserves the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians of goodwill to tackle. Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman of the Forum, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It is a national issue that also requires national approach to resolve. “Our problem in this country is that whatever happens is given an ethnic colouration and that makes the solution to such problem somewhat difficult.”

It’s failure of governance—Ohanaeze

To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government. “The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree. “Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle. “The herdsmen are under the instruction of highly-placed Fulani people who own the cattle. They are heavily armed. How many cows can the herdsmen buy? Federal Government should stop this nonsense before it causes a catastrophe.” Meanwhile, police sources said it would be difficult to say the actual number of those killed, even as the killing is spreading to other parts of the local government. Similarly, member representing Uzo-Uwani constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, John Ukuta, said: “I am shocked that this has happened to my people. It is disturbing to learn that security men that were earlier assigned to ward off the rampaging herdsmen disappeared few minutes before they struck only to re-appear after they completed their horrifying assignment. “This situation has become a national epidemic. People are leaving their communities in droves. Security agencies should move in now.”

Victims

The bodies of those recovered included that of an old man of about 85, and another young man whose throat was slit. One of the victims, who was simply identified as Mr. Ajogwu, father of the former Councillor for Nimbo Ward 1, Sunday Ajogwu, had his left hand severed. Another one had his stomach ripped open, spilling his intestines.

Traditional rulers lament

The traditional ruler of Nimbo, Igwe John Akor, told Vanguard on telephone that the attackers struck at about 7a.m. when they had left for their farms. He said: “Most of those who were killed died in the early hours of the morning. We are still counting our losses. We have not started going into the farms and bushes to look for our dead brothers and sisters. “When the situation becomes very calm, we will start looking for the rest of the victims. For now, our prayer is that the Federal Government sends security men to restore peace.” Also reacting, the traditional ruler of Abbi community, Eze Fidelis Igwe, complained that his community had over the years suffered untold hardship in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, who he accused of maiming and gang-raping “our women at farmlands” in addition to robbing and kidnapping his people or stealing and destroying cash crops in the community. He said: “This is the fourth time Fulani herdsmen have invaded our community in three years. The losses are too much for us to bear. “The remaining people of the community have now taken refuge in neighboring communities due to fear of another invasion by the herdsmen who do not give signs before striking. “We have made several appeals to the Police, Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Enugu State government demanding for the Fulani herdsmen to leave our community, but nothing has happened.” In his reaction, Igwe Herbert Ukuta of Igga in Uzo Uwani said: “I am appealing to the state government and the Commissioner of Police to send some detachment of police and military personnel to secure the lives of Igga community where I come from. “The Fulani herdsmen had earlier threatened that Igga community is among the areas they will attack. “They have now attacked Nimbo, which is among the areas they vowed to attack. Others are Echenwo and Abbi. Already, the people of other communities are fleeing their homes over fear of the herdsmen attack.”

Already, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, had visited the troubled community with the Area Commander for Nsukka, Monday Kuryasi, among other top police officers.

‘They evacuated their cattle’

The Fulani herdsmen had vacated the area with their cattle in the early hours of Saturday, before the attackers, who reportedly came from Nasarawa State, struck. There had been anxiety in Nimbo following reports that about 500 Fulani herdsmen were assembling to attack the area. It was gathered that fellow Fulani herdsmen at Adani had, at the weekend, imported about 500 others from Nasarawa State to help them invade Nimbo community on the grounds that some of their cattle were missing in the area.

Stakeholders’ wasted efforts

However, as a result of the development, stakeholders from the local government met, weekend, in Enugu to find solution to the incessant attacks, kidnap and rape by herdsmen on communities in the local government. According to sources, Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Cornell Onwubuya, had alerted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the state Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, of the threat. Onwubuya was said to have further alerted other stakeholders who met leaders of the Fulani community in Enugu State on the impending attack. Speaking at the emergency meeting held on Saturday, Onwubuya said the local leaders of the Fulani community also confirmed that there were attempts to bring in mercenaries to attack some communities in Uzo-Uwani, adding that the Fulani leaders in Enugu had complained that some of their people were killed within the axis of Nimbo and Abbi communities in the recent past.

Fulani leader’s failed assurance

At the meeting, Enugu State leader of the Fulani community, Alhaji Haldo Saidu Baso, said he had lived in Enugu State for over 33 years and would not be alive to witness the type of crisis they were talking about. The Fulani leader said he would talk to his people not to take laws into their hands but to report disturbing issues to the traditional rulers of the communities. Vanguard learned from a native, who witnessed the gory scene that the herdsmen were armed with AK-47 rifles, and came with two buses fully loaded with arms and ammunition at about 7.13a.m.

Police, Army move in

Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said: “The Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, is in the area with a combined team of Army and Police. I can confirm there were casualties but the exact number is still what I do not know.” At press time, efforts to speak with the Local Government Chairman failed as he claimed to be at the scene of the crisis with Nwodibo and other police officers.

Now World Igbo Congress believes that this should never be. It is high time we protected ourselves. We must save our people and our land from this wanton siege. Are these herdsmen of are they marauding killers with a bigger agenda? WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Igbo Marginalization

Recently, the SUNRISE Newspaper published an article title 50 Years After Ironsi: Igbo Still Marginalized – South East Leaders. The article captures a lot of the situation of the Igbo in the Nigerian polity and have been re-echoed strongly by the new Ohanaeze leadership. It now becomes a challenge for all Igbo to unite in order to reverse the trend one way or the order. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

The key elements of the article include, but not limited to:

• No President
• Least States
• Least LGAs
• Least NASS Members
• Least Fed Allocations
• Worst Fed Roads
• No Igbo Service Chief

It is an indisputable fact that the Igbo championed the course of Nigeria’s independence. The confirmation of this claim lies in the point that the Legendary Zik was a scion of Igbo nation. Investigations conducted by Sunrise indicated that between 1960 and 1966, Igbo wards, based on merit rather that nepotism or quarter system, were in top hierarchy of virtually all spheres of the country.

For instance, the Governor General who later became the ceremonial President was Zik. The Senate President, Nwafor Orizu, hailed from the Igbo country. The Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Jaja Wachuku, was an Igbo ward just as the Army G.O.C. as the time was Major General Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi. Of the 52 senior army officers in the country between 1960 and 1966, 32 were of Igbo extraction.

As a matter of fact, names like, Jaja Wachuku, Raymond Njoku, Aja Nwachukwu K. O. Mbadiwe Igbo cabinet ministers who distinguished themselves in their various and respective capacities and in the process enshrined the country’s name as the giant of Africa and pride of the Black World. However, the fortunes turned against the Igbo nation on the night of July 29, 1966 when the counter coup took place and more than 162 army officers of Igbo identity were killed in cold blood as the Head of State Gen Ironsi was assassinated. Since then, 50 years ago, things have never been the same for Ndi Igbo.

Going memory lane, former Enugu State governor, Dr. Chimaraoke Nnamani submitted that the administration of General Yakubu Gowon started what is today called Igbo marginalization. According to him, “No matter how you look at it, I can certainly tell you that Gowon started the Igbo marginalization. This is so because his cabinet had no Igbo representation although he pretended to have one in the person of Prof Ukpabi Asika. Two, he created twelve states and made the Igbo nation the least. The template of Igbo exclusion established by Gowon is what other successive heads of government have maintained till date”.

To confirm Nnamanis’s position, a look at the general outlook of Gowon’s administrative composition is imperative. His Supreme Military Council consisted of Gowon himself as the Head of the Federal Military Government and the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Chief of Staff, Nigerian Armed Forces was Brigadier Hassan Usman Katsina, Chief of Staff, Nigerian Army and later the Deputy Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters. The Head of the Nigerian Navy was the equally Late Vice Admiral Akinwale Wey. The Head of the Nigerian Air Force Colonel was ShittuAkanjiAlao. In all, there was no Igbo representation in Gowon’s 23- man SMC cum cabinet composition. As it was with Gowon so was it with Generals Murtala Mohammed, Olusegun Obasanjo and indeed all the other heads of government and presidents who have administered Nigeria.

As Evangelist Elliot Uko, Leader, Igbo Youths Association put it; “When Nigerian presidents and heads of state do not starve us in appointments, they do so by allocating the least of every federal government’s amenity. This is why the Southeast has the least of everything in the country”. Professor Ben Nwabueze is a legal luminary and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He revealed that the Igbo were facing severe marginalization effects. “There is marginalization everywhere in the Southeast and evidences are empirical. There are 36 states in the Nigerian federation and the Southeast has only five. I think this is an element of marginalization. There are 774 Local Government Areas in the country and we have just 95 or there about. This, to me is an acute case of marginalization. Also, the political delineation of Nigeria is skewed in disfavor of the Southeast. If not why is that there are only 15 senators from the Southeast in the Red Chamber is composed of 109 lawmakers and it is the same in the House of Representatives. These are clear cases of marginalization”, he reasoned.

Other respondents also pointed to the fact that the worst federal roads are located in the Southeast even as there is no Southeast representation in the Service Chiefs. It has also been stated that the inability of the Federal Government to continue with the Second Niger Bridge project as well as the poor state of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu though lack of federal presence are all pointers that the Igbo nation is truly being excluded in the national scheme of things. A communiqué, issued at a recent meeting of Igbo political and socio-cultural groups in Enugu captured the mind of most Igbo people. It read in part: “Ndi Igbo are dissatisfied with their current position in Nigeria. Nigeria is a negotiated federation of three regions in 1960. And our fore fathers played a major role in bringing it to be. In the First Republic all constituent regions had their separate constitutions and had a say in the exercise of central power in Nigeria. Ditto in the Second Republic. In the Third Republic, even when the Alliance for Democracy, AD, dominated in the South-West, the then President Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP made deliberate efforts to bring in AD. That was statesmanship. That was nation building. It is not in doubt that Ndi Igbo are nation builders, found all over Nigeria, earning their living and helping to develop the communities in which they are domiciled. Ndi Igbo participated actively with other Nigerians at the 2014 National Conference. We see the report of that conference as a veritable document to anchor the proposed dialogue towards the restoration of Nigeria to true federalism which our founding fathers negotiated prior to independence in 1960. Ndi Igbo stand firmly on the implementation of the key recommendations of that conference”.

Nigeria, Let Kanu go

THE President General of the apex Igbo social-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, John Nwodo, has said the pro-Biafra agitators, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and MASSOB, by virtue of his position, are his children, and for this reason, if need be, he might even die for Ndi Igbo. He said: “As President General of Ohanaeze, I intend to extend my warm hand of paternity to IPOB and MASSOB. They are my children. I shall never desert them. Their struggle is my struggle even if we do not completely agree with their methods.” World Igbo Congress therefore calls on all Ndi Igbo to close ranks in order to own and protect our own. We cannot run away from our skin. See clips of what people are saying. WHAT DO YOU SAY? Let’s hear from you.

Fayose urges Buhari to release Kanu, others unconditionally

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the unconditional release of leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other Nigerians who have been unjustly incarcerated like Sambo Dasuki, the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, he asked President Buhari to reciprocate the mercies of God upon his life by showing mercy on Kanu and the others.

He also advised that it would be wrong to reverse the gains we made under democracy, adding that the current peace in the Niger Delta and the slight improvement in the nation’s economy must be sustained.

He thanked God for the President’s return, which he said was all at the mercies of God, and particularly because Nigerians prayed for him.

His words: “It, therefore, behooves on you to show mercy on Kanu and Dasuki, who have been granted bail by the courts of competent jurisdiction, and such other Nigerians that are suffering unjust, punitive, illegal, and unconstitutional incarceration under this administration.

“Allow all those who have been granted bail by the court to enjoy their bail while their trial continues. This is the right, just, and merciful thing to do, especially now that your good self is looking up to God for mercy.”

Fayose, however, condemned some Igbo leaders who he said, were playing politics with Kanu’s continued incarceration and warned that his continued incarceration could be interpreted to mean hatred for the Igbo people.

Nnamdi Kanu: ECOWAS court dismisses fed govt’s objection

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear a case of breach of fundamental human rights filed by Nnamdi Kanu.

In a ruling on Tuesday in Abuja, Presiding Judge, Justice Micah Wright, held that the court had jurisdiction to entertain the application.

Wright, ruled that the case was admissible.

The judge then adjourned till April 27 for continuation of hearing.

Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, is suing the Federal Government for alleged illegal detention.

Joined in the suit are the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Director-General of Department of State Services.

Kanu, in the suit, is seeking 800 million dollars compensation for violation of his human rights and an order directing his unconditional release and that of his personal belongings.

He is also praying the court to direct the defendants to respect, protect and promote his rights to life, liberty and freedom of movement, assembly and expression.

Kanu is also praying the court to declare that his arrest and detention since Oct. 14, 2015 by the defendants, is in flagrant disobedience to several orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.

He is also praying the court to declare that his continued detention is a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Charter of 1970.

Kanu was arrested On Oct. 18, 2015 and subsequently detained by the DSS in Abuja.

He was , however , granted bail on Oct. 19, 2015 but was not released and had been in detention since.

On Nov.18, 2015, the Magistrate Court I , sitting in Abuja, ordered the DSS to produce Kanu, at the court on Nov. 23, 2015.

Kanu was finally arraigned on Nov. 23, 2015 in the court for the first time on charges of “criminal conspiracy, intimidation and membership of an illegal organisation” by the DSS.

MASSOB insists on Nnamdi Kanu’s release

The leader of Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Mr. Uchenna Madu, yesterday, urged Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the remaining five charges against the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Madu stated that Kanu and other Biafra agitators in detention did not commit any offence against Nigeria rather than agitating for independence, saying it is supported and backed by the United Nation’s universal declaration on self-determination.

The MASSOB leader in a statement said that Biafra agitation was only a reaction to the many injustices, exclusion, second class citizenship, born to rule philosophy, marginalisation and other forms of inequality that characterise the Nigerian state.

“We rejoice with our sister organisation, IPOB, over the discharge and acquittal of its members by the court. It is a triumph of light over darkness, of truth over lies and deceit. As we encourage all genuine pro-Biafra agitators to be steadfast, resolute and consistent, MASSOB also welcomes the striking out of the six charges against Kanu but insist that all the remaining count charges must be withdrawn because Nnamdi Kanu and others did not commit any offence against the Nigerian state,” he said.

Madu added: “MASSOB, IPOB, Lower Niger Delta, Biafra Peoples National Council (BPNC) and other Biafra agitating groups are not the problem. The Nigerian state as constituted is the major problem. Nigeria is a state where some are first class citizens while others are second class; a state where some are born to rule while others are perpetual outcasts; a state where state policy deliberately denies Biafra land critical developmental infrastructure while according others same; a state where prejudice, tribalism, exclusion and hate are elevated while nation building is ignored; and a state where it seems the only logic for unity is to share oil resources and not on the basis of consent, mutual respect, fraternity and shared brotherhood.

“For these reasons, true nationhood has remained stillborn, peace has remained elusive and Nigeria has remained in perpetual strife and ever increasing crisis since her founding. These undeniable realities are the reason the Nigerian state is afraid of Biafra and her agitators because we speak of a truth they cannot legitimately counter. We speak of a truth they know they are guilty of. So, out of weakness and fear, they resort to repression, persecution and detention.”

MASSOB warned that the “arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu and others at different prisons and DSS detention camps will not take away the problem; neither will it stop the struggle insofar as the conditions that birthed Kanu and other agitators remain. You cannot beat a child and ask the child not to cry. Arresting Nelson Mandela did not stop the Apartheid struggle; neither did arresting Kwame Nkrumah stop the independence struggle in Ghana. Such examples are evident all through history.”

Biafra: Release Nnamdi Kanu now – Soludo, Utomi, Igbo leaders tell Buhari

A Pan Igbo group, Nzuko Umunna, led by former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo, on Tuesday told President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group equally said Nigeria was becoming a failed state despite the fact that it has the potentials for greatness.

The position of the group was contained in a statement read on behalf of the members by Soludo at a news conference in Abuja.

The group said the Federal Government must obey court orders even when such orders appear unpalatable, including the one asking it to release Kanu on bail.

Others who signed the statement aside Soludo were Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Ebere Onwudiwe, Law Mefor, Rev. Fr. C. Jude C, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, Ferdinand Agu and Tony Nnadi.

Others are Dr. Sam Amadi, Innocent Chukwuma, Collins Ugwu and Andy Wabali.

The statement reads in part: “We demand for the urgent release of Nnamdi Kanu, his colleagues and all prisoners of conscience, as part of the process of the search for national cohesion and building a new Nigeria. There is a legitimate debate among Nigerians on the Biafra question, and there are indeed many Igbos who, like many other Nigerians, do not agree with Nnamdi Kanu’s objective or means. It needs to be stated, however, that no citizen of Nigeria deserves the kind of treatment meted to him and his colleagues. Government has declined to obey the orders of properly constituted courts in Nigeria for his release. Nnamdi Kanu is not above the law; but, nor should he be put beneath it.

“A situation where the state refuses to obey legitimate court orders for his release and holds him until it gets a favorable order; moves the goalposts endlessly through endless amendment of the charges against him; and now seeking to try him in secret clearly constitutes circumstances that would fall well short of the constitutional guarantees of due process. These also would raise questions about our country’s adherence to human rights, the rule of law and transparent judicial process. We worry that there is now a clear design to place Kanu beneath the law and basic constitutional guarantees of due process. Without the rule of law, no sustainable economic progress can take place.

“The treasonable felony charge, which is now levied against Nnamdi Kanu has previously been used against Joseph Tarka and Obafemi Awolowo. His trial reminds us of the travails of these historic figures in our country and, indeed, of the more recent military-era treason trial of President Obasanjo. Not many people believe that Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues can receive a fair trial based on the law. This makes Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues political prisoners or prisoners of conscience.

“At various times in Nigeria’s history, it became expedient to release such prisoners (e.g. Obafemi Awolowo; Yakubu Gowon and Odumegwu Ojukwu, as well as President Obasanjo) as part of national reconciliation and nation-building. Nigeria is currently a country at war with itself. Our considered view is that, for taking extraordinary steps to draw international attention to Nigeria’s failing state and the urgency of actions, Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues deserve to be engaged and not to be held interminably as political detainees.

“We demand that the right to freedom of association, assembly, peaceful protest, and expression must be accessible to all citizens of Nigeria as guaranteed by Nigeria’s constitution. Trying to criminalize anyone who talks about self-determination or attempts to use brute force to main and kill innocent protesters in a democracy is a strategy for a time that we no longer live in. This is 2017 and Nigeria is supposed to be a democracy! More than 200 years after 11 states in the US failed their secession bid, their Confederate flag still flies in several of them, even on government buildings.

“Since 2012, no less than 23 U.S. states had thousands of their citizens sign petitions to secede from the U.S. Currently, the State of California is still pressing for Calexit. There were protests all over the US following the election of Donald Trump. Similar examples can be cited in many democracies. But no one is killed, brutalized or incarcerated by the state.

“As a people, we believe that our country is big enough for diverse voices to be heard in the confidence that these voices in their respective ways seek to correct our imperfections; to have a stake in constructing a more perfect union. We convey our thanks to the Federal Government and the Acting President, Prof. Osinbajo for reaffirming recently that citizens have the right to peaceful protest, and we are happy that protesters were allowed to express themselves in Lagos, Abuja and other venues recently under police protection.”

Death Traps in Igboland

Igboland is in danger. She is in search of a soothing balm to rub off all the sours she suffered from her numerous predicaments and woes. Indeed, the litany of the misfortunes buffeting South East states that habor the Igbo communities in Nigeria, is quite legendary. The problems are replete with erosion menace, terrible road network, … Below the ladder or orgy, are untimely death, leadership crisis, poverty and other myriads of mind boggling challenges that combined to make Igbo nation a not too comfortable abode to inhabit.

Erosion

Anambra State has been categorized as one of the most ecologically scratched enclaves in Nigeria. This is so because research has proved that erosion has made nonsense of the state by destroying homes, markets, church buildings, school premises, town halls and other public centers and institutions. A recent survey showed that erosion is still threatening about 4844km2 area of the state. Governor Willie Obiano, during the Silver Jubilee celebration of the state informed reporters that his administration had identifies at least 950 erosion sites ravaging the area. He lamented that with over 950 gully ero­sion sites in a land mass of 4,844 square kilometers, Anambra would be washed away by erosion. “In truth, no other state in Nigeria has been ravaged by erosion on the same scale as Anambra. If the images that we generated from our aeri­al photography are anything to go by, then the world must come to our rescue before it is too late. Indeed, we are rais­ing this alarm in the hope that the attentive world will give Anambra State a chance to survive as a geopolitical en­tity that deserves its continu­ous membership of the hu­man race,” Obiano stated. He added that “the tragedy of gully ero­sion is that its impact is usu­ally so colossal that it is al­most impossible for any state, no matter how rich, to tack­le it alone. We are embold­ened by the fact that many nations who were faced with the threat of extinction of this nature or worse in the past were not left to their fate by a caring world. We have no doubt that our case will not be different.” While acknowledging the series of interventions by the Nigerian Erosion and Water­shed Management Project (NEWMAP) and the great as­sistance the state had received from the World Bank in fend­ing off the menace, Governor Obiano revealed that the World Bank has commenced work on the erosion sites in Ugamuma-Obosi, Iken­ga-Ogidi, Enugwu-Ukwu and Abidi-Umoji. In Imo State, erosion sites are Amucha Community in Njaba. The Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), a World Bank-sponsored Program associated with erosion control in seven states of the country said it had identified 11 major erosion sites for urgent attention in Imo State.

The State Program Coordinator of NEWMAP, Mr. Victor Anueyiagu said, five of them had been given urgent attention just as the other seven locations would equally be addressed. The areas under construction are Eziala Obizi gully erosion site, Umueshi gully erosion site, Iyi-Uzo Ihioma-Ogbaeruru gully erosion site, Umunumo Mbano gully erosion site and Urualla gully erosion site. Things have gone so bad for the people of Ozuomee Urualla in Ideato North Area Council of the state that the lawmaker representing it in the state house of assembly had appealed to both the state and national governments to come to their rescue.

The member representing Ideato North, Hon. Arthur Egwim, said gully erosion had cut off the people of and was on the verge of sacking the entire community. “Most communities in this area have been abandoned since everybody now live in fear of being submerged by this natural disaster”, he pointed out. In all there are about 30 erosion sites in Imo State. It is not better in Abia State. According to a paper tagged Mapping gully erosion in Abia State, Nigeria using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques, by Nnabugwu O. Uluocha and Ibeabuchi Uwadiegwu Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Nigeria dated August, 5 2015, From the result of the analysis done, Umu Nneochi has the highest value of 1082.58 tons/acres in 1986 and 1120.59 547.54 ton/acres (in 2003).In Ikwuano,154,98 ton/acres and 164.27 ton/acres was lost to soil erosion in 1986 and 2003 respectively. Isuikwuato ranks second with 568.45 tons/acres in 1986 and 594.65 tons/acres in 2003.In Ohafia, 544.89 ton/acres was lost in 1986 and 538.90 ton/acres was lost in 2003. Bende experienced an increase in soil loss from 525.73 ton/acres (in 1986) to Uluocha and Uwadiegwu. here are twelve (12) communities in the State with the highest values of soil loss (≥1000 tons/ha) and severe erosion risk. The communities are Amanta (1556.38 tons/ha), Ndiorieke (1455.25 tons/ha), Abala (1371.49 tons/ha), Owaza (1325.88 tons/ha), Amauru (1200.78 tons/ha), Amuzukwu (1154.74 tons/ha), Ohuhu-Nsulu (1152.95 tons/ha), Ekenobizi (1101.37 tons/ha), Amauke (1093.34), Uturu (1060.8 tons/ha), Umuiroma (1053.11 tons/ha), and Akoli (1029.01 tons/ha). Overall, the results reveal that 40% of the State experiences severe form of soil erosion and about 32% experience high soil erosion; 17.51%. Erosion in Enugu State during the time of Governor Sullivan Chime reached an alarming proportion that the governor called for assistance, urging NEWMAP help matters out. According to reports, the governor noted that efforts by state and local government areas as well as constituencies to control gully erosion, before now were at best partially or temporarily effective for reasons that included improper road designs, inadequate drainage systems and poor solid waste management. Chime was quoted as saying that other reasons that caused the erosion in Enugu included destructive and unsustainable land use practices that removed protective vegetation cover, over grazing, deforestation, cultivation of marginal lands and uncontrolled mining for building materials and climate change challenges.

Bad Roads

To really appreciate the deplorable state of roads in the South East, an Igbo, Michael Onyebuchi posted a traveler’s diary on Premium Times thus: my wife and I travelled down to the East via the Asaba airport (story for another day) en-route Arochukwu my home town. Our journey was quite smooth between Asaba and Nnewi town although we went through a rough patch as we negotiated our way towards the Onitsha – Owerri road.

The trip from Asaba to Nnewi took approximately 30 minutes. It was from Otolo Nnewi, a community in Nnewi town that the nightmare began. From Otolo Nnewi to Aro-ndizuogu – Okigwe took us four hours to negotiate. For those of us who do not know this axis, this is a stretch of road that is less than 100km or thereabout.

This road is an inter-state road that links Anambra to Imo State. It connects Nnewi, Ideato, Aro-Ndizuogu and Okigwe. I have never seen anything like that road in my life. This road was worse than a nightmare, it is not a road. After surviving the torture called Nnewi to Okigwe it was another horror for us to drive from Ohafia to Arochukwu. Ohafia to Arochukwu is about 50km or less, but it took us two and half hours (2.5 hours) to travel between that distance because of the state of the road. On our way back, we had to go through Enugu because we could not afford the luxury of the torment we went through the Nnewi – Okigwe road. To my utmost surprise the Enugu – Port Harcourt Express Road is a death trap killing and maiming people, with fallen trucks and broken down vehicles all over the place called ‘Expressway’. We also became victims of it because one of our break pipes got severed while trying to avoid a deep gully. What is really going on in the East? What are the governors doing? I know they might have started grading some of these roads by now so that when their state citizens return home for the yuletide celebrations they will say our governor is ‘working’. Why can’t they fix the roads in the East? It is a big shame, in fact very embarrassing that one cannot travel smoothly within the South – Eastern region. No road between Anambra and Imo state, none between Imo and Abia, none between Imo and Enugu and none between Enugu and Anambra State. The sad thing is you will hear they are all Federal roads. Please who are the people commuting on these roads? It is the citizens of these states. Onyewuchi said it all. As it is with the roads leading to his Arochuwku from Asaba, so also it is with other roads in the South East to wit: Onitsha –Awka – Enugu Road; Owerri –Port Harcourt Road, Owerri –Mbaise – Umuahia Road, Owerri –Okigwe Road, Owerri –Aba Road; Umuahia –Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia –Bende- Ohafia- Arochuwku Road, Aba –Ikot Ekpene- Calabar Road and several others. On daily basis, valuable goods worth millions of naira are destroyed even as lives are lost due to bad roads in the South East and precious time wasted as commuters try to calibrate their ways through the terrible federal and state roads.