Mazi Nnamdi Kanu continues to grow taller and weigh more heavily on the minds and hearts of the oppressed, the longer Nigeria keeps him imprisoned without following the proper procedures. This is not just hyperbole; it is a powerful reality that Nigerian leadership does not seem able to understand. The irony here is strong: by putting Kanu in prison, Nigeria is planting the seeds for a future that will be far more difficult than any threat they could have ever anticipated.

Given Nigeria’s turbulent past, one would think the country would have learned from its mistakes, they have not done so, unfortunately.

With the help and encouragement of foreign interests, Nigeria launched a genocidal war against the Igbo people decades ago, killing about five million(5,000,000) people and leaving Ala-Igbo in ruins. And according to the recent statement of Yakubu Gowon was the then head of state, that terrible genocide of 1967-1970 was committed against the Biafrans as a measure to ensure Nigeria remains united. But the question now is, did Nigeria fulfill its promise of unity after 1970? You know the answer is a big NO. Even if the conflict is technically over, prejudice and humiliation nevertheless persist. In a country that advocates for equality, NdiIgbo continues to be demonized, disenfranchised, and viewed as inferior citizens.
Yet, despite this history of systemic oppression, NdiIgbo chose peace. We pursued unity and progress within the confines of this federation, hoping, perhaps naively, that our loyalty would one day be reciprocated. But instead, we find ourselves in a country that thrives on selective justice, a country that wears the cloak of democracy while practicing ethnic repression.

It is a tragedy that in this same country, those with far greater transgressions are granted pardon simply because they hail from regions deemed too hot to handle.

And it was against this backdrop of continual persecution that the Mazi Nnamdi Kanu led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) emerged. IPOB’s existence is a direct response to Nigeria’s endless provocation, a reminder that NdiIgbo will not be intimidated into silence. Kanu’s unwavering determination is, in fact, the product of Nigeria’s refusal to accept NdiIgbo as equal citizens.

From forced disappearances to indiscriminate killings, the persecution of the Igbo has not ceased—it has only evolved, wrapped in the guise of “national security.”

The irony of Kanu’s detention is profound. Here is a man whose supposed crime is far less than those of countless individuals who enjoy unearned freedom, simply because they belong to Nigeria’s favored tribes. How does Nigeria justify this disparity in treatment? The answer is as old as the country itself: discrimination.

Nigeria believes it can continue to maltreat the Igbo people without consequence, as though history has not shown that oppression only strengthens the resolve of the oppressed.

Nnamdi Kanu’s imprisonment does not intimidate IPOB; it rather strengthens the cause of the movement. In the absurdity of his detention lies the revelation of Nigeria’s duplicity and hypocrisy. How can a country claim to represent justice while it holds an individual in detention on questionable grounds? How does one justify the blatant targeting of an ethnic group under the guise of maintaining national unity?

Make no mistake, Nigeria’s insistence on detaining Kanu will not diminish the Biafran resolve. Instead, it will only fuel a determination that is growing stronger with every unjustified day he spends in detention. Nigeria is paving the way for its own reckoning, blindly believing that holding Kanu indefinitely will silence the voices calling for justice. But this belief is a colossal miscalculation. The day will come when Nigeria will be forced to release him, and on that day, the country will be unable to mask its shame.
History will judge Nigeria for its selective justice and its oppression of NdiIgbo. The truth is, Kanu’s prolonged detention represents not a victory but a ticking time bomb, a looming reminder of every injustice inflicted upon Biafrans. Nigeria can try to silence Kanu, but in doing so, it only amplifies his voice. The question is no longer if justice will come for Kanu but when. And when it does, Nigeria will have no choice but to confront the monumental injustice it has inflicted on the Biafran people, an injustice that cannot be erased with hollow promises or belated regrets.

So, Nigeria, hold on to Kanu if you dare. But know that every day you do, he grows taller, and the shadow he casts grows longer, foreshadowing the day when the truth will break free from the bars behind which you have hidden it

Family Writers Press International