More information regarding the political backgrounds of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB], Nnamdi Kanu, have become public. This is owing to conversations 247ureports.com held with persons who had close contact with the IPOB leader.
Top on the list of the early associates of the IPOB leader was the founder and former national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA], Chekwas Okorie. Following the formation of the APGA in the early 2000s, Chekwas Okorie had embarked on a tour of the world Igbo diaspora to sensitive them on the need to back the new party. His tour took him from the cities of Europe to the cities inside the USA. He also visited the United Kingdom where he ran into the enthusiastic young man by the name, Nnamdi Kanu. According to Chekwas Okorie, he was immediately impressed by the person of Nnamdi Kanu and his dedication to the entire APGA mantra and the principle behind its formation.
“Nnamdi Kanu was gainfully employed at a choice British firm and was doing fairly well for himself” claims the founder of APGA who explained that between the two of then a United Kingdom chapter of the then new APGA was quickly set up, and Nnamdi Kanu was made to head the chapter. “To my amazement, the chapter grew very fast. His mobilization skills were out of this world”.
From his duty table as the APGA chairman for UK chapter, Nnamdi Kanu began reaching further into the mainstream of the struggle for self-reliance for the south easterner and particularly the Igbo. He began making frequent trips to Nigeria from his UK base. During the same period, Ralph Uwazurike’s MASSOB was also going through its early formative stages. As an eager youth, Nnamdi Kanu was introduced to Ralph Uwazurike, and Ralph Uwazurike took an immediate liking to him. Within a short period, Ralph Uwazurike and Nnamdi Kanu were working together. Ralph Uwazurike began to use Nnamdi Kanu’s skills to reach out to the UK audiences. Ralph Uwazurike needed a global audience at the time.
It is through the relationship and assistance offered to Uwazurike and his MASSOB that lead Nnamdi Kanu to his first arrest at the hands of the DSS [Department of Security Services]. His arrest came about following Nnamdi Kanu’s visit to see Uwazurike to attend MASSOB meetings. He was given propaganda leaflets and other Biafra actualization paraphernalia to distribute to the UK audiences. As Nnamdi Kanu arrived the Murtala Mohammed International Airport to board his UK bound flight, the DSS agents fingered him to step aside for searching. He was searched and Biafra related materials given to him by Ralph Uwazurike was found in his luggage. He was arrested and detained.
According to an unnamed source, “it took the intervention of notable sons and daughters of Igbo land to impress on the DSS to release Nnamdi to return back to UK so as not to lose his job. An undertaken was taken on his behalf”. Nnamdi was able to return to the UK and to return to work. The Biafra materials were seized by the DSS.
But Nnamdi Kanu returned to the UK even more emboldened by the arrest. His activities to spread the gospel of Biafra actualization became more of his preoccupation. He became more passionate that he began setting up chapters for MASSOB and engaging in mass protests and other like activities. It did not take long before his visited Nigeria again. On this Nigeria visit, he defiantly attended MASSOB meetings and met with Ralph Uwazurike and the two discussed on the spread the gospel of Biafra actualization. Nnamdi was given more Biafra actualization paraphernalia to distribute on his return trip to UK.
For the second time, as he arrived the international airport in Lagos, he was arrested by the agents of the DSS. This time, the DSS refused all pleas for his release. He was detained at the holding cell of the DSS for months. At the time of his release, his UK employers had already declared his seat vacant and had sacked him. He was now jobless.
Without an income, Nnamdi Kanu decided to turn fully to the actualization of Biafra campaign. He fully embraced Ralph Uwazurike’s MASSOB and became a fully grassroots participatory member of the group. And the rest became history.
He grew from MASSOB to being the leader of IPOB.
