Nnamdi Kanu in prison for Radio Biafra but who is in prison for Radio BBC Hausa service? - Achuzie asks

Pa Achuzie

Published by Family Writers


Col Joe Achuzie has faulted the continued detention of Nnmdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra while there is an indigenous Hausa BBC service for the northerners.

In an interview with Vanguard, the Biafra warlord said Kanu’s detention on the basis of operating a radio station was weak as Biafra people were interested in retaining their identity.

Achuzie said that contrary to popular perception, Igbos were not interested in leaving Nigeria but wish for their identity to be recognised.

He said: “The whole world is now a global village. Part of the north had already established themselves not only in our present day Nigeria but throughout the world whereby they set up what they called Hausa BBC linguistic dissemination of information. Everything is said in Hausa whereby people from our area, from the Biafran area do not even understand what is being disseminated.

“We feel that we are equally entitled to that. But to tell us that the name Biafra be expunged from the lexicon of Nigeria while it remains in the lexicon of the world, we will not agree because that is denying us of our fundamental human right. We have a right to answer whatever name we feel is indigenous to us . Nigeria is not indigenous to us.

“Let Buhari say that as far as he is concerned you can answer any name, not telling us that those who don’t want to be in Nigeria should leave. If he can carve out the land and tell us where to carry it to, then we will follow that request but we are saying we have a lot of ties with our neighbours occupying the territory called Nigeria. We want to maintain those ties but we want to answer the name we want.

Kanu is being held because of Radio Biafra but nobody is holding somebody for BBC Hausa service, nobody. Is that not double-standard?

“If we wanted to pull out, we wouldn’t be allowing our people to invest so much all over Nigeria but people who want to push us out want to eliminate us and claim the heritage we have sown to make Nigeria what it is today . So, hear it loud and clear, it is not in our agenda to pull out . If people want to pull out, will they be going to court? Denying us judicial succour means they have another agenda on how to eliminate us. What makes a man independent is his identity.”