The Igbo people are one of the major components of the Nigerian state from the inception of colonial rule by the British Colonial government between the 1800s and 1960. The Nigerian state have witnessed the rise of men such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aguiyi Johnson Ironsi, Chinua Achebe, Pius Okigbo, Ajuluchukwu M.C.K, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, all from the southeast amongst many others who have made their mark in diverse areas of human endeavors. Amongst the Igbo ethnic group, the lure for trading and other economic activities, including investment in capital industries is very massive. Yet, the political history of the Igbos especially since 1966 forward is really a troubled one.

The political imbroglio of the 1960s in Nigeria saw the military intervene in Nigerian politics and amongst the Dramatis Personae were officers of Igbo extraction whose actions directly and indirectly plunged Nigeria into a fratricidal war between 1967 and 1970.  Adewale Ademoyega and Ben Gbulie confirmed this in his book, Why We Struck: The Story of Nigeria’s First Coup and Nigeria’s Five Majors respectively. This was the political atmosphere under which the Nigerian state and the short-lived Biafran state went to war. Gowon’s government came up with the three “Rs” which is reconstruction; reconciliation and rehabilitation after the civil war where the Igbos capitulated even though the Gowon government came up with the policy of No victor No Vanquished to in order to ensure a peaceful and an all-inclusive society. Yet, the Igbo ethnic group felt short-changed by the Nigerian state and introspection into the issue indeed would reveal deep fault line in the story of the Igbos especially after the civil war of the 1970s.

In comes our main man Nnamdi Kanu who has been in the news since October 2015 when his meteoric rise in Nigerian politics in contemporary period is unsettling the polity. The prominence and rise of the man Kanu is tied to the salient quest of the Igbos to resuscitate the dream of their sovereignty through diplomatic means rather than resort to warfare. Nnamdi’s incarceration by the Department of State since 2015 rather than silence the man has even brought him more fame.

The Independent People of Biafra which he leads has suddenly become the permanent feature in the news due to the popularity of Kanu. His year of birth 1967 incidentally was the same period when the Civil War broke out between Nigerian and short-lived Biafran forces. Therefore, it would be safe to conclude that he had little or vague knowledge of the actual battles. However, growing up and seeing the lots of the Igbos in the Nigerian political frame-work might have been the catalyst which spurred him on and in the subsequent years, which Kanu spent in the United Kingdom, the spirit of ethnic nationalism became very much evident in his personae especial during the tail end of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Nnamdi Kanu refers to the Nigerian state as a zoo. The man is really yet to give the reasons why he would refer to a great nation like Nigeria as a zoo. Furthermore, Kanu and his group, IPOB have been accused at various times of using abusive and hate-filled language to communicate with other Nigerians thereby raising tensions and ethnic consciousness.

Kanu’s methods of attracting attention to himself and IPOB lately, especially through the use of social media tools and confrontations with the nation’s security and defense agents, have raised questions about the safety of other nationals and in fact, the Nigerian state itself. He was arrested by the Buhari government on October 14, 2015 and not until four days later before his whereabouts was made public. This singular act by the government became counter-productive as his lieutenants in the IPOB made it an everyday affair to engage the government in one form of verbal war or the other.

The editorial article of the Guardian newspaper on September 8, 2017, was right home to the point by explaining thus “the first and most important point to make about the Kanu matter is that his agitation for segregation is a symptom of a much larger discontent in this polity. It is a component of a widespread and comprehensive dissatisfaction with the structure,the composition and the working of Nigeria’s economic, political and other systems.” Indeed, everywhere one turns to nowadays in Nigeria, the issue of restructuring is on the front burner. Though, that is digressing from our topic. If a thorough look is taken introspectively, into what has transpired between the Nigeria state and Kanu, one cannot but blame the Buhari government for the rise of a Lilliputian into a Blefcus.

Indeed, the Buhari administration policy of 95/5 has also given lots of impetus to the rise of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB group whose language is that Igbos are marginalized in the polity! Where it to be that the government did not incarcerate him in the first place and for over a year at that; where it to be that the Buhari administration is an all-inclusive one in terms of critical appointment; probably, less would be heard of Nnamdi Kanu. In fact, his notorious radio station might just go off the airwaves due to lack of listenership! Yet, this administration did acted otherwise and promoted Nnamdi Kanu to the level of a folk hero; an ethnic crusader with the touch of secession. The recent military exercise code-named Operation Python Dance, which may be applauded, however is just like using the last option first. The Buhari administration should endevour to use all diplomatic channels available to bring this matter to a close once and for all. Operation Python Dance may just internationalize this issue beyond what it is expected to be and it would not be in the general interest of the Nigerian state.

Operation Python Dance which has generated interests across board over the actions of the soldiers on civilians in the Southeast leaves a bitter taste in the mouth given that if reason had prevailed on the part of IPOB supporters, such an incident would not have occurred. Yet, the question one might be tempted to ask Nnamdi Kanu is that: What would be the gains of the Southeast if the continued activities of the IPOB should lead to civil war? Does he want a repeat of the 1967 debacle again?  The truth here remains that it is time the Igbo leading statesmen would have to call Nnamdi Kanu and his ilks to order and let this nation move forward towards development and growth. War destroys rather than builds! Kanu should ask the Class of ‘67 what it means to suffer during warfare! Let all men of goodwill speak the language of peace.