Handwritten Letter: Nnamdi Kanu Orders Simon Ekpa to Stop Sit-at-Home Protests in Biafra Land

Patrick OdeyJuly 28, 2023

6 minutes read

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently detained by the Department of State Security (DSS), has issued a direct order to one of his followers, Mazi Simon Ekpa, to stop calling for any sit-at-home protests in Biafra land. He also instructed him to stop antagonizing governors or politicians who are working for his release.

Newsflash Nigeria reports that Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, read the handwritten letter from Kanu at a press conference in Enugu State on Friday. The letter, dated July 24, 2023, was written by Kanu when Ejimakor visited him at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.

In the letter, Kanu said he embarked on the movement to liberate his people, not to enslave them. He said he despised any form of oppression or intimidation of his people by anyone or group. He said he was aware of the sacrifices and sufferings of his people in the quest for freedom and justice. He said he appreciated their loyalty and support for his cause.

However, he said he was not in support of any sit-at-home exercise that would inflict more hardship and pain on his people. He said such protests were counterproductive and detrimental to the economy and well-being of his people. He said he wanted his people to go about their normal businesses and activities without fear or hindrance.

He also said he did not want any confrontation or conflict with the governors or politicians who are working for his release. He said he had no personal grudge or vendetta against anyone. He said he was ready to dialogue and negotiate with anyone who was sincere and genuine in resolving the issues affecting his people.

He therefore ordered Ekpa to make a public announcement on his media platforms that he had received a direct order from him to cancel any pending sit-at-home protest in place at the moment. He also authorized Ejimakor to issue a press statement if Ekpa failed to comply with his order.

Ejimakor said he had conveyed the order to Ekpa via WhatsApp on July 25, 2023, and Ekpa had acknowledged it. However, he said Ekpa had not implemented the order or made such announcement on his media platforms as of July 28, 2023. He said he had given Ekpa the benefit of doubt and more time to do the needful, but Ekpa had not done so.

He said Kanu had given him further written instructions on July 27, 2023, to make the order public through a press statement. He said Kanu had added more pertinent details and instructed him to make them public as well.

He said he was bound by his duty and oath as a lawyer to faithfully and zealously implement Kanu’s clear instructions without any fear or favour. He said he was making the press statement as instructed by Kanu.

He urged Ekpa and other IPOB members and supporters to respect and obey Kanu’s order and stop any sit-at-home protest in Biafra land. He also appealed to the governors and politicians to continue their efforts to secure Kanu’s release and address the grievances of his people.

He expressed hope that Kanu would soon regain his freedom and resume his peaceful agitation for self-determination for his people.

The complete statement reads: “This Public Announcement bears (as shall be reproduced below) the unedited, verbatim Instructions containing a Direct Order personally issued by MAZI NNAMDI KANU in his own handwriting on 24th July 2023 through me to MAZI SIMON EKPA, instructing him to ‘desist from calling for any Sit-at-Home henceforth’ and ‘to make a public announcement to the effect that he (Mazi Simon Ekpa) is in receipt of a direct order from him (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) to cancel any pending Sit-at-Home in place at the moment’; and also that he (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) has, by the same order, ‘authorized me to issue a press statement if he (Mazi Simon Ekpa) fails to make this announcement on his platform.’

“For avoidance of doubt, this Direct Order was personally handed to me by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu when I visited him on the said 24th July 2023, at the headquarters of the Department of State Security (DSS), Abuja. Later that day, I tried to contact Mazi Simon Ekpa via his WhatsApp number but could not reach him until 1:44AMthe following day (25th July 2023), whereupon I snapped the Direct Order as written and sent to him. He thereafter acknowledged receipt, and we spoke briefly on it and exchanged a couple text messages thereof.

“Since that early 25th July 2023 (when I conveyed the Order to Mazi EKPA and he duly acknowledged it, he has not implemented the Order or otherwise made such announcement on his media platform. Nonetheless, I made a conscious decision to give him the benefit of doubt and thereby accord him more time to do the needful.

“Then, late yesterday, further written Instructions was issued by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to me, referring to the extant Direct Order to Mazi Ekpa and, in addition, instructing me that given that Mazi Ekpa has not carried out the Order, I must, as of today, being 28th July 2023, proceed to make the Order public through a Public Announcement/ Press Statement. In the said further Instructions, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu added more pertinent details and instructed that I must equally make them public.

“Accordingly, and as of Counsel, bound by duty and the solemn oath of my noble profession to faithfully and zealously implement my Client’s clear Instructions without any fear or favor, I now, therefore, reproduce verbatim the contents of said Direct Order to Mazi Simon Ekpa (at the first Paragraph) and the related further Instructions (from the second Paragraph to the end), as follows:

“Simon, this is a direct order from me. I hereby instruct you to desist from calling for any Sit-at-Home henceforth. Equally, refrain from antagonizing Governors or persons in political positions because you are not in a position to know what they are doing on my behalf. I am ordering you to make a public announcement to the effect that you are in receipt of a direct order from me to cancel any pending Sit-at-Home in place at the moment. I embarked on this movement to liberate our people, not to enslave them. I despise and will despise any person or entity that wishes to inflict unnecessary hardship on our people. I have authorized Aloy to issue a press statement if you fail to make this announcement on your platform.

“Anybody still engaging in Sit-at-Home is not my disciple. Haters of Biafra and mindless murderers in uniform are hiding under the cover of combating enforcers of Sit-at-Home to unleash mayhem against the same people we swore to defend.

“I have sent countless messages to those purportedly enforcing Sit-at-Home that they are not doing so in my name. I am not begging anybody to release me, just that Nigeria should have the decency to obey their own laws.

“The main issue which our people should address their minds to is the unconscionable delays in hearing the government appeal at the Supreme Court, which is a situation not amenable to any Sit-at-Home. Therefore Sit-at-Home is a waste of time, resources, and energy.

“Those who may not understand the genesis of the Sit-at-Home should refer to my younger brother’s press statement on the eve of the commencement of the original order issued by the IPOB family. My brother made it clear to the DOS that I was against the order for people to stay at home under whatever guise. This caused a rift between my siblings and DOS till date.

“Aloy should use the above contributions to form the main body of the press statement. I want our people to know how this whole sit-at-home brouhaha started. Had DOS obeyed my direct instructions to cancel the first Monday sit-at-home, opportunistic scavengers would not have jumped on the bandwagon to wreak havoc on our people. I want our people to know how this whole Sit-at-Home brouhaha started. Had DOS obeyed my direct instructions to cancel the first Monday Sit-at-Home, opportunistic scavengers would not have jumped on the bandwagon to wreak havoc on our people.

“You (Aloy) must release the press statement tomorrow with the screenshot of the handwritten note I gave to you unfailingly.

“In conclusion, I hereby affirm upon my honor as of Counsel that above words (in quotation) and the attached handwritten note are the words of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his handwriting.”

kanu handwritten