The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has called for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Speaking during his homily on Sunday, Fr Mbaka described Nnamdi Kanu as a hero while warning that there will be more trouble if the IPOB leader dies in DSS detention.
The cleric, who prayed for Kanu alongside the congregation at the Adoration ground, commended IPOB for calling off its Monday sit-at-home exercise, saying that the danger of the order was becoming a problem instead of a solution.
He said, “The Indigenous People of Biafra has ordered the arrest of Monday sit-at-home enforcers in the South-East, I’m reading from the WhatsApp publication, no more sit-at-home on Mondays. We would expect that from tomorrow, people should go to the markets, schools, churches, people should open their stores.
“The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, the hero, Nnamdi Kanu, is expressing his empathy with the people of the South-East over what they are passing through. He came to know that Igbos are suffering because of him. And he would not wish that suffering to continue. Therefore, nobody should stop anybody from going to his or her business any Monday.
“All of us should keep praying for his (Kanu) release, and work towards his freedom because if he dies inside that place, it will cause more trouble. If he comes out, he will come out as a hero. We don’t want him to die because it is not Nnamdi Kanu’s issue, it is the issue that concerns the people that are suffering. Nnamdi is not asking the government to do anything for him; he is speaking for the Igbo people and we that are affected should do anything possible to see that it is well with him.
“Many said they saw me at Abuja some days ago, Yes. If I’m with you, I’m with you, if I’m not, there’s nothing you can do about that. I am not here to tell you why I was in Abuja but whatever will help the emancipation of my people, I will do that. I will help to see that there is an authentic manifestation of the salvation of souls, I must do it because I am a soul saver.
“I know that those who are enforcing the sit-at-home did it to make people feel that the leader was arrested but the arrest is affecting everybody. There are people that must go out before they can eat. If they don’t go out to sell their little vegetable, they may not be able to eat. The danger of sit-at-home is becoming a problem instead of a solution. I am blessing the IPOB leaders wherever they are, it shall be well with them and some people who may not be aware of this information may want to enforce it.
“IPOB has said the only day there will be sit-at-home is when Nnamdi will be going to court and the information will be passed before then, so don’t take every Monday sit-at-home as a culture.
“The fate of the church may suffer if the sit-at-home persists. Anybody saying I shouldn’t talk should be careful, somebody must stand out for the people. If you are the silent type when things are going wrong, no trouble, I don’t speak against you but don’t condemn what I’m doing, you’re not my God, you don’t know why I’m here on earth, I have a call. If the church cannot save the situation and the people, I don’t know what the church can do.
“If the people of God is suffering, all of us will suffer. Your conditions should affect us, and whoever can do anything to see that your situation is taken care of, the person should do it. I’m with you, my people. There are people who are working and meeting to see that Nnamdi Kanu is released and it is not by sitting at home here that he will be released.
“On that Wednesday, by the side, you see people carrying casket, the Nigerian flag before another group came singing ‘Holy Holy Holy, Nnamdi Kanu is another saviour’ and they overpowered those with the Nigerian flag. What I want to tell you is that I was in Abuja, people were going about their normal businesses. I thank IPOB for cancelling the sit-at-home during the Anambra election. God will bless them.
“I’m still calling on our leaders, governors, Ezes, Igwes, senators, those in the House of Representatives, from the South-East, nobody should hide. It’s not our children that will be suffering for them. The youths should not champion this cause, the leaders should champion it. Whenever we mention IPOB, it would seem as if it’s about jobless youths, No! This is an Igbo issue and whoever is denying that it’s not an Igbo matter is a sycophant.
“Whatever affects our people should affect all of us so the whole leaders should come out, cancelling sit-at-home does not mean it is over. The poor masses are suffering. Most of those rich people do not have businesses down here. We are suffering ourselves.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Father Mbaka had also criticized Igbo leaders who are shying away from talking about Nnamdi Kanu, urging them not to abandon the IPOB leader.