Thursday, June 18, 2021, a motley crowd, claiming to represent some 75 amorphous organisations, treated the country to some comic relief. The organisations, under the aegis of a group simply known as Northern Consensus Movement, announced with glee the placing of a N100million bounty on the head of the run-away leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. This, they explained, was to enable Kanu to continue his trial over alleged treason.
The group pointedly accused him and the Eastern Security Network, which it described as the military wing of IPOB, of masterminding alleged recent attacks on Northern communities in the South East.
It would seem as if the group was responding to an earlier claim by Igbo Elders Council that some 5,000 Igbo youths had been killed and over 10,000 others languishing in various detention facilities as a result of a special security operation in the South-East geo-political zone.
Awwal Aliyu, the group’s spokesperson, who announced the bounty during a press briefing in Abuja, also appealed to the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union to jointly ensure Kanu’s repatriation back to Nigeria to face justice.
“The Northern Consensus Movement, an amalgamation of more than 75 civil society groups of Northern extraction, has taken it upon ourselves, as active citizens of this country, Nigeria, to state in unequivocal terms that: we are declaring Nnamdi Kanu wanted for crimes against humanity and for instigating the killing of innocent northerners in the South East via his hate speech. We want him to answer for the killing and destruction of northerners residing and undertaking lawful businesses in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.
“The Northern Consensus Movement, an amalgamation of more than 75 civil society groups of Northern extraction, has taken it upon ourselves, as active citizens of this country”
“So, we are placing a bounty of N100m as an offer to anyone who can produce him alive, hale, hearty, and uninjured to us for onward delivery to the security agencies for the continuation of his prosecution,” Aliyu stated.
We find the action and utterances of the Northern Consensus Movement not only unsavory, disagreeable and objectionable.
The first point to note is the fact that there has not been any reported or known case or cases of attacks on the interests and businesses of people of northern extraction of late in the South East zone, safe for the unfortunate killing of former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, a dastardly and condemnable act, we make haste to say.
Considering the very nature of our polity, such a volatile claim that remains largely speculative should not be presented as an irrefutable fact.
As expected, condemnations have trailed the group’s misadventure from all corners. Just a few here will suffice.
Former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, said, “We have terrorists and bandits here up north, killing and kidnapping our people; why not the Northern groups place a price tag on the heads of their leaders instead of placing them on someone far abroad.”
A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, also faulted the move by the northern groups. “Why would a northern group place a N100 million bounty on Nnamdi Kanu’s head? The North has bandits who abduct school children on an almost weekly basis.
“They also have Boko Haram. Use that money to place a bounty on the heads of leaders of bandits and Boko Haram,” he tweeted.
We align with these views. To start with, the bounty announcement was uncalled for. It should not have been encouraged, considering the existing tense situation across the country. Any organisation that seeks to douse fire by igniting another is merely being starry-eyed and playing to the gallery.
Such a step has the potential of inflaming passion in a manner that can ignite protests that can easily spiral out of control. The Nigerian security forces have been doing their best possible to bring the situation in the South East, in particular, and the country as a whole, under control.
The group cannot claim to be unaware of the escalating violence sweeping across the northern states in which hapless students and teachers in well-established schools across northern Nigeria, particularly the North West zone, have been terrorised through kidnapping.
It cannot claim to be ignorant of the coronation of a new leader for Boko Haram after the alleged death of Shekau. There are, certainly, more important things the group can do with N100 million for the poor, defenceless and vulnerable masses in many IDP camps dotting the landscape of the North.
Engaging in activities that are meant to promote personal political interests in the guise of fighting the cause of the general public is largely disingenuous.
No well-intentioned individuals would assemble and choose to appeal to the emotion of the wary, deprived and neglected by riding on a subject for which they have little or no locus whatsoever.
The Nigerian security agencies know what to do, how to do it and when best to strike to bring Nnamdi Kanu to justice.
We passionately call on the Northern Consensus Movement to kindly re-channel its N100million to procuring food items, sanitary wares, medication, clothing and rechargeable lights for 20 IDPs at the ratio of N5million per camp in the north. That may serve a more useful cause than dabbling into Kanu/IPOB vs the Federal Government face-off.
