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News Investigators/ A Civil Society Organisation, Nigeria First Project Initiative, has lambasted the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoleye Sowore, and other individuals for holding the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja on Monday. Briefing newsmen in Katsina on Monday, the National Coordinator of the group, Hamza Umar-Saulawa, expressed suspicion about the intentions of the protest. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Doubting the protest, Mr Umar-Saulawa described Sowore as a “dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States of America (USA), who is also driven by political motivations”. He urged Mr Sowore and other Nigerian citizens who wish well for the country to consider the implications of releasing the IPOB leader considering the gravity of charges against him, insisting that Kanu allegedly rebelled against the sovereignty of Nigeria. The coordinator accused Kanu of being behind the continued operations of IPOB despite its proscription, designation, and declaration as a terrorist organisation by the federal government. He lamented over the compulsory sit-at-home order imposed by the organisation in the Southeast and parts of South-South zones, paralysing business, educational and social activities and causing untold hardship on ordinary citizens. “Kanu is being arraigned by the Department of State Services on charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, illegal possession of firearms and managing an unlawful organisation among others. “He was granted bail in 2017 but he flouted the bail conditions and even jumped bail and fled the country where he continued sending inciting and hateful messages through social media channels. “These messages led to more killings of security agencies and ordinary Nigerians, including those of Southeast origin. It took international collaboration and intelligence sharing to rearrest Kanu in 2021 and bring him back to Nigeria to face charges bordering on terrorism,” he said. While describing Kanu as a divisive figure, Umar-Saulawa expressed the fear that if freed or released on bail, the same IPON leader would continue to promote violence and attempt to undermine the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The group urged Sowore, other individuals and groups to desist from organising protests to call for the release of Kanu. Similarly, the group condemned the recent rumoured attempted coup d’etat and commended the pro-activeness of intelligence agencies against the plot, stating that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. “Nigerian democracy is indeed thriving as we have just marked a milestone of celebrating 26 years of uninterrupted democracy. However, only apologists of totalitarianism and anarchists will wish the reversal of this great feat in our democratic journey,” he stated.
