Kanu, who has been charged along with
two others by the Federal Government before a Federal High Court in
Abuja on six counts of treason and other ancillary offences, said he
intended to write a private letter to Buhari to express his apology to
the President.
He also apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders for “some uncomplimentary things” he said about them.
The 48-year-old pro-Biafran agitation
leader, who is, however, unapologetic about his demand for a Republic of
Biafra, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services
since his arrest in Lagos on October 14, 2015.
He tendered the apology for his comment against Buhari and others in a statement which he made to the DSS on October 23.
The prosecution, in its summary of the
case, alleged that in one of the radio broadcasts by Kanu on August 1,
2015, he expressed his resolve to actualise the Republic of Biafra and
“cast aspersions on the person and the office of the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The statement read in part, “Reference
to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a terrorist, evil
and a paedophile is regrettable and uncalled for and for that, I
unreservedly apologise and will be doing so in a private letter to the
President.
“Before PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari)
there was the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. I also said
uncomplimentary things about him and Igbo elders as well, which I now
recognise should not have happened because it is un-African to be rude
or insolent to elders.
“All I was trying to do is to draw attention to the problems afflicting society and something done about them.”
Kanu, who described himself as a Nigerian and a British citizen, justified his agitation for a Biafra Republic.
He said IPOB’s secessionist agenda was
informed by the “incessant hardship, lack of holistic development in the
socio-economic landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth employment,
corruption in high offices and economic regression.”
He added that the agitation by IPOB,
which, according to him, was founded in London in 2012 by a group of
people from the South-South and South-East regions of the country, was
in line with the United Nations Charter on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples ratified by African countries, including Nigeria.
In contrast to the counts of managing
and assisting in the management of an unlawful society preferred against
Kanu and two others, the Radio Biafra founder stated that
IPOB, which the prosecution described as unlawful, was registered with
the UN to pursue the rights of the people of Biafra.
He stated, “I can confirm that I, Nnamdi
Kanu, is the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide as a
legitimately and duly registered body at the United Nations pursuing the
rights of a specific indigenous people, in this case, Biafra, to seek
self determination according to the said charter.
“The reason for the formation of the
Indigenous People of Biafra is to avail those referring to themselves as
Biafrans the opportunity made available as a result of the United
Nations declaration to seek the peaceful rebirth of Biafra in line with
international law.”
Kanu, who is a son of a traditional ruler in Abia State, Sir I.O. Kanu, said he operated Radio Biafra,
whose programmes “are designed to wake up the public from its slumber
and address the issues of the time” because of his belief in free speech
and freedom of expression.
