Anglican Bishop of Oji River Diocese, Rt Rev Ikechukwu Egbuonu, recently visited Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), at Sokoto prison.
Kanu was transferred to Sokoto prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
DAILY GAZETTE reports that concerns have arisen over his relocation, particularly as his legal team seeks to file an appeal at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
Following the visit, Bishop Egbuonu told AIT that Kanu remained in high spirits.
“Personality is rare because in the midst of that, he’s living like a man who is living above his situation he’s into. Though he made mention of his heart condition. I don’t know how he’s been taken care of in the prison, but I think he’s not depressed as I thought, because we went there to comfort and encourage him.”
“So I think if you ask me, he was even advising and encouraging us, telling me to tell the Igbo youth to calm down and that they shouldn’t take any law in their hands, that they should all be in the right frame of mind, that they shouldn’t go to start destroying things that the cause of the law is taking effect.”
“He believed that the judgment was full of injustice that the Appeal court will certainly correct it. He showed me some irregularities in the judgement in comparison to the sentences.”
“Some of the things he was sentenced for were the things that happened while he was in DSS custody. So he was asking me, How could I have done these things in the custody of DSS?”
Bishop Egbuonu also revealed that Kanu spoke about security concerns in the South-East, identifying multiple groups of unknown gunmen.
“One of them, according to him, is those imported from outside to destabilize the South East. Number two is the ones he called economic unknown gunmen, those who are making money from the situation.”
“The other one is the other guy in Finland, who he said he wrote a letter with his hand to him to let him know that he’s not supporting what he’s doing.”
Kanu reportedly expressed frustration over his transfer to Sokoto, which could complicate his appeal process.
“So he was not quite happy that no signal had been given to Sokoto to bring him to Abuja to do that and return back.”
“I also heard when he was requesting to talk to his lawyer over an issue that the lawyer was raising, about a misunderstanding about some things he wrote in…you know…he gave him to file for him. He’s feeling bad about not being able to speak to his lawyers.”
Addressing reports that Kanu had dismissed his lawyers, Bishop Egbuonu clarified: “No, he didn’t sack his lawyers.”
“He decided to defend himself in this case and employ the lawyers as consultants to advise him. So they were still working even while I was there, one of the lawyers came in with me as I landed.”
