Nnamdi Kanu recruits more Igbo youths from prison for violence – Uwazuruike

Ralph Uwazuruike, a Biafra nationalist, has accused fellow activist Nnamdi Kanu of orchestrating the deaths of Igbo youths from his prison cell in Sokoto.

Uwazuruike claims that Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and serving a life sentence for terrorism, continues to recruit youths from prison to carry out violent acts, resulting in several deaths among those recruits.

In a YouTube video, he urged Igbo national leaders and the Pan‑Igbo organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo to mobilize and travel to Sokoto, warning Kanu to cease recruiting Igbo youths for violent activities that could end their lives.

He said: “I hate violence, and anyone who knows me will agree that I do not have anything to do with violence. How can someone who was sentenced to prison remain there and be recruiting our youth to go into violence?”

“He has been sentenced, he should remain in prison and serve his jail term in peace and not recruiting more people into violence. Everyday, our young men are killed because they are being deceived into engaging in violence by Nnamdi Kanu, who is recruiting them from prison.”

“I want to suggest that Igbo leaders and the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should mobilize to Sokoto and give Nnamdi Kanu a stern warning to desist from recruiting our young men into violence that will end their lives.”

“In the north, we hear things like repentant terrorists and bandits, and federal government spend money to reintegrate them into society, so why can’t we have repentant IPOB members here? Why can’t the people who have been in violence renounce it and come out and seek amnesty, so that the federal government can rehabilitate them? Why do they have to be initiated deeper and deeper into violence, instead of thinking a way of coming out and embracing amnesty and enjoying rehabilitation,” Uwazuruike lamented.

Uwazuruike’s remarks are linked to recent social media videos featuring hooded individuals who say they are IPOB members loyal to Kanu and claim they have been enlisted for a new wave of violence in the South East.

Several of these videos, posted on social media, show hooded, armed militants chanting slogans in support of Kanu and threatening that a new wave of violence would strike the South East if he is not released.

Kanu recently dismissed some of his trusted allies who were serving as directors of the State (DOS) of Biafra from prison and established a new leadership. He also announced a “100‑man project,” recruiting 100 men whose specific duties were not clarified.