Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has stated that despite the inciteful statements made by the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the Nigerian government made a mistake by detaining him.
During a recent interview with Noble Nigeria, the literary icon highlighted that Kanu has the right to advocate for a separate Biafra nation, stating “he was never accused of physically bombing any place or killing anyone.”
Recall that Kanu was extradited to Nigeria from Nairobi in June 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, with the support of the Kenyan government.
The Department of State Services has detained the separatist leader since he was brought to Nigeria in June 2021 and is facing charges related to broadcasts alleged to have been made in furtherance of terrorism.
However, Soyinka criticized the Nigerian government’s conduct as “kidnapping”.
He alleged that the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari was obsessed with kidnapping people, which was his trademark.
Soyinka said, “It is a mistake keeping Nnamdi Kanu in prison, I believe. In fact, they kidnapped him.
“His language was inciteful, yes, no question about that. But you don’t arrest, you don’t kidnap people. Buhari had an obsession with kidnapping people.
“That seemed to be his trademark. It is like he couldn’t fulfil himself unless he’s put somebody in a crate and brought them back.
“I think that politically speaking, if they have any real charges against him, well, since he is in their hands, they should try him. All these technical postponements, delays, and avoiding the basic issues, for me, is counter-productive.”
Soyinka said his only problem with Kanu was his language, which he described as disrespectful and inciteful.
He said, “He is one of the younger generations who inherited a burden of defeat, of resentment and a determination in their view, not to make the mistakes of their predecessors.
“They have a new will; they have a new understanding of history. The only problem I had with it was the language Nnamdi Kanu used over Radio Biafra. I listened to some of it, very incendiary and also disrespectful, I thought, of even his own people. I don’t want to go into details, but all you have to do is listen to it.“