Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, has criticized DSS Director-General Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi for his recent statement, asserting that Nigerians must take responsibility for their own security, as the military, police, and intelligence agencies lack the capacity to protect every community from terrorist attacks nationwide.
According to SaharaReporters, Ajayi made the remarks during a public engagement, which Symfoni broadcasted.
He referenced past incidents in Bauchi State, where local communities successfully fought off Boko Haram insurgents without waiting for security forces.
Ajayi went further to cite former dictator General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) as endorsing the idea of community-led resistance.
Ajayi urged Nigerians to rethink their approach to self-defence, emphasising that communities must serve as the “first line of defence” against terrorists and other criminals.
Ejimakor, who took to social media to highlight what he called a double standard in the Nigerian government’s treatment of Kanu, reminded the DSS DG that Kanu is being unjustly held for making a similar statement.
The lawyer pointed out that Kanu’s call for self-defence was cited as a justification for his arrest, extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021, and subsequent prosecution for incitement of violence.
Ejimakor said, “Defend yourselves” is the same thing MAZI NNAMDI KANU said that was twisted to justify his extraordinary rendition & charging him for ‘incitement of violence’”.
He further stated that Kanu’s remarks had been a key factor in the Nigerian government’s 2017 proscription of IPOB as a terrorist organization, which he argues led to the persecution of many young Igbo people.
“It’s also the same thing that led to the proscription of IPOB & the hounding of young Igbos as terrorists,” he said.
Kanu, a British-Nigerian political activist and leader of IPOB, has been a central figure in the agitation for the secession of southeastern Nigeria under the proposed state of Biafra.
His fiery rhetoric and calls for self-determination have frequently put him at odds with the Nigerian government.
In 2017, the Nigerian government designated IPOB as a terrorist organisation after clashes between its members and security forces.
Kanu, who was previously detained on charges of treasonable felony in 2015, fled the country but was later arrested in Kenya in 2021 under controversial circumstances and brought back to Nigeria.
He has since remained in DSS custody despite multiple court rulings ordering his release.
Ejimakor’s comments add to mounting criticism against the Nigerian government’s handling of Kanu’s case, with human rights organizations and international bodies calling for due process and adherence to court rulings.
