Family members of detained separatist figure Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the passing of his parents without his presence.
The remembrance is in honour of his late father, HRH Israel Okwu Kanu, a former traditional ruler of Afaraukwu Ibeku, and his mother, Ugwueze Nmeme Sally O. Kanu, both from Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
According to Daily Post, preparations are underway for the memorial scheduled for February 14. The event marks the first anniversary observance since Kanu was convicted on terrorism-related charges brought by the Nigerian government and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence at Sokoto Prison.
Kanu’s parents reportedly died shortly after troops of the Nigerian Army raided the family residence during a security operation aimed at arresting him. While Kanu escaped at the time, the family alleged that dozens of people, including IPOB members, lost their lives during the incident.
Speaking in Umuahia on behalf of the family, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the IPOB leader’s younger brother, said the memorial is intended not only to honour their parents but also to highlight what the family describes as the cost of Kanu’s struggle for self-determination.
He stated that the annual February 14 remembrance is meant to ensure that both Nigerians and the international community do not forget the events surrounding the raid and its aftermath, which the family maintains contributed directly to their parents’ deaths.