Eromosele Ebhomele

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu: arrested

A top director of Radio Biafra, Biafra Television and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Worldwide, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been arrested by the Directorate of State Service, DSS, according to the organisation.

In an announcement posted on its website, Kanu, believed to be the founder of the Radio Biafra, the media arm of the Biafran secessionist move, was arrested in Nigeria but the particular location of his arrest was not made known at the time of this report.

The DSS has not confirmed the arrest at this time, but the group said he was arrested on Saturday.

It also said, a programme was hosted on the radio by Mazi Uche Mefor, the Deputy Director and that the entire members of the Directorate of States of the IPOB were in attendance.

“This sad but real news broadcast was laid bare to the listening audience of the Radio Biafra.

“However, the Deputy Director, Uche Mefor emphatically expressed the family’s determination and resolved to carry on with the project of Biafra restoration,” the announcement said.

It also quoted Mefor as saying: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is and remains our Director and Leader of the struggle. Every structure of the IPOB remains intact.

“All family meetings must go on as usual. We enjoin all members and principal officers to stay active and never give up faith. If they think that detaining of the Director will shake our resolve, they better think again.

“Rather discourage, it will spur us all the more to action.”

It also said other Members of the Directorate of States took turns, during the programme, to express their commitment and loyalty to both the Biafran struggle and “outright condemnation of the unwarranted detaining of the Director Radio Biafra.

“Notwithstanding the recent development, Radio Biafra and Biafra Television will continue with their broadcast as usual.”

Kanu’s fame was becoming a cause for concern to some Nigerians.

One of those who had earlier advocated that he should be stopped is Joe Igbokwe, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos.

“I urge anybody who is somebody, and who understands where we are coming from to stand up now to be counted.

“Woe betides a nation whose leaders are children. If we elders do not speak against this evil, posterity will never forgive us.

“Let us speak out and if these children do not hear us, then it should be on record that we spoke. About a month ago, the barrage of lies and uncontrolled propaganda Radio Biafra dished out everyday drew the attention of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), which asked Nigerians to stop listening to this useless radio station,” Igbokwe had written in one of his articles.