The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has left Israel and arrived in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Kanu landed at Leeds Bradford Airport in England in the evening of Saturday 26 January to the waiting embrace of his longtime associate and deputy, Uche Mefor and other “family members” of IPOB.
The pro-Biafran leader had suddenly surfaced in Israel in October 2018 just about a year after disappearing from his country home at Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State as men of the Nigerian Army under the guise of Operation Python Dance invaded his father’s compound.
In Israel he had recommenced his weekly broadcasts on Radio Biafra trying to rally support for his goal of an independent sovereign State of Biafra comprising of most parts of the southeast and southsouth regions of Nigeria.
Nnamdi Kanu holds a Nigeria-U.K. dual citizenship, and the British government had last year alerted the Nigerian authorities that it intended to facilitate the return of Mr. Kanu to Britain.
On arrival in England Kanu said he was “back in the UK to continue our excellent work to liberate Biafra from the pit of darkness, Nigeria.”
He said, “Fulani cabal with their Herdsmen, ISIS and Boko Haram must not be allowed to conquer us. Let Justice Onnoghen’s humiliation unite us as one Biafran family.”
Kanu was referring to the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Nkanu Onnoghen who was Friday 25 January unceremoniously, and some allege, unconstitutionally “suspended” from his exalted office by President Buhari, and in one fell swoop sworn in Justice Tanko Mohammed in his stead.
Onnoghen is from Cross River State – an area within the contemplated Biafran country.
In December 2018, Kanu had predicted “If you doubt me that the 2019 presidential election is already rigged, you will be convinced when the cabal moves against the Chief Justice of Nigeria in the coming weeks”.
He often repeats his theory that any “Biafran” serving the Nigerian State will ultimately be kicked out and return home in shame when they are no longer useful to their “masters”.
The U.K. has been the administrative headquarters of IPOB. It is yet to be seen what the next moves of the movement will be with the return of their leader back to base.
