The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has demanded proof from Senator Orji Uzor Kalu after he claimed the Eastern Security Network was responsible for the death of over 30,000 Nigerians.
The senator representing the Abia North Senatorial zone, according to a Punch report, stated that the eastern security network has killed over 30,000 Nigerians and is responsible for the spike in insecurity in the Southeast region over the years.
Reacting to the controversial statement, Mazi Chinasa Nworu, IPOB’s media aide and member of the Family Writers Press, questioned Kalu’s statement, asking for proof and pointing out that no credible human rights body or intelligence agency has quoted such numbers.
” Can Orji Uzor Kalu break down the record and where he got this data of 30,000 killed because of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The figure of 30,000 by Orji Uzor is an exaggeration. Based on independent reports, which estimate the total fatalities associated with the recent conflict to be in the hundreds because of violence and the enforcement of a sit-at-home order by criminals.” Nworu stated.
The IPOB Press man pointed out that no credible human rights body has backed the figures quoted by the senator, and it should be dismissed as mere conjecture. The debate on the terrorism charges leveled against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Nigerian State has polarised the country, muddied by unconfirmed facts and figures quoted by both sides.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, earlier in the month, stated that Nigerians should wait for the full course of the law on the Nnamdi Kanu case during protests demanding his release. The IPOB leader has been moved to the Sokoto Custodial Centre following his conviction by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court of Abuja.
Kanu’s conviction has sparked a flurry of reactions from key figures in the eastern region. The Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, stated that his team has perfected a strategy to secure his release. Other figures like Paschal Chibuike, aka Cubana Chief Priest, and Obinna Iyiegbu, aka Obinna Cubana, also lent their voices, stating the importance of a casual approach to the issue.
Kanu’s legal team, led by Aloy Ejimakor, has made its intention to appeal the case to the Court of Appeal, stating clearly that their principal is not a terrorist but a victim of Nigeria’s compromised Judiciary.
