The leader of a separatist movement that calls for the independence of Biafra from Nigeria has been released on bail, Nigeria's state security service (DSS) told IBTimes UK. Nnamdi Kanu was apprehended by the DSS in Lagos after he had flown from the UK, where he lives, earlier in October.
Kanu is considered the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) and is the director of the London-based radio station Radio Biafra, which the Nigerian government has deemed illegal. Ipob and other groups advocate for the independence of the Biafran territories, which separated from Nigeria in 1967 and were re-annexed to the African nation in 1970 following a civil war that killedbetween one and three million people.
When contacted by IBTimes UK on 21 October, a spokesperson for the DSS said: "Yes, [Kanu] is free, he is on bail". The spokesperson refused to give further details on the bail and on Kanu's whereabouts. The Vanguard newspaper featured an interview with Kanu's lawyer, Egechukwu Obetta, who claimed the Ipob leader had been granted bail for the sum of 2 million Naira (£6,500).
However, Ipob members and supporters of the Biafra cause claimed that Kanu had not been released, with some suggesting he is being tortured by authorities. IBTimes UK was not able to independently verify the allegations of torture. Media sources supporting the break-up from Nigeria called the bail "controversial" and claimed the DSS announced the bail only "to calm the angry people of Biafra".
In the middle of the Twitter storm following Kanu's arrest, some people spoke out against him, claiming he is "a fraudster" that uses the Biafra cause for his own interests. Some also accused Radio Biafra of promoting hate speech against those who do not support the independence of Biafra or belong to ethnic groups other than Igbo, the biggest ethnic group in the Biafran territories.
In an interview with IBTimes UK, David Otto, CEO of UK-based global security provider TGS Intelligence Consultants, said Kanu might have been arrested in relation to his role in the activities of Radio Biafra, which the Nigerian government has made illegal. The government claimed in July that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had managed to jam its signal.
Kanu's arrest triggered protests, mainly attended by women, in several states in Nigeria. It is believed that traffic was disrupted in Porth Harcourt, Rivers State, during protests, which also occurred in Anambra and Delta states.
Some protester accused the police of shooting on the women who were calling for Kanu's release. This is not the first time that pro-Biafrans have accused authorities of being violent. The policedenied the claims, while rights group Amnesty International said in an exclusive report to IBTimes UK that there is "credible evidence that pro-Biafran separatists in Nigeria are targeted by police".
In recent months, Nigerian police have been cracking down on pro-Biafrans amid allegations they are hosting violent protests and after the inspector general of police, Solomon E Arase, released a statement urging authorities to clamp down on people who behaved violently across the country.
A perceived increase in pro-Biafran activities was also confirmed by Anambra State commissioner of police Hassan Karma during another interview with IBTimes UK. He said: "It is people taking laws into their hands and it's the same situation that generated Boko Haram today in the north east. People started like this, even in Niger Delta, where militants started kidnapping people for extortion."
Otto warned that pro-Biafrans might turn into a violent movement if they join forces with Niger Delta militants. In an exclusive interview with IBTimes UK he said that there are fears that the pro-Biafran movement is "gearing up to seek for a secession".
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