The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Monday claimed that the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, would be free once he can swallow his pride and renounce his membership of Biafra.
MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in a new statement issued on Monday, stressed that Kanu had secretly agreed to denounce Biafra in the ongoing Federal Government negotiation aimed at resolving the current Niger Delta crisis.
But the group, however, said before he could be granted the freedom, the Federal Government and MEND which are spearheading the negotiation talks, want him and his supporters to publicly renounce their membership of the Biafra struggle, rather than do so in secret.
He said, “MEND, therefore, urges the already frustrated and desperate Mr. Kanu and IPOB to swallow their pride and make a public denunciation of “Biafra” so that the gullible donors and followers, deceived by the illusion of a “Biafra Republic” that aims to annex the Niger Delta region as part of its territory, shall become fully aware that the so-called “Biafra Republic” is merely a business venture and scam whose sole beneficiaries are Kanu, directors of IPOB and their families and cronies.
“The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, which purport to dissociate IPOB/Kanu from some of the concessions which have so far been secured by MEND in the ongoing talks aimed at resolving the current Niger Delta crisis between the Federal Government and MEND.”
It read further, “MEND, hereby, uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the group’s ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce “Biafra” in secret; in exchange for his freedom.
“MEND and the Federal Government have, however, flatly rejected the IPOB/Kanu’s hypocrisy to remain defiant in public while accepting to secretly renounce secession.”