Those who took up arms, killed soldiers, shot down helicopters, kidnapped school children, and slaughtered villagers are called “repentant Boko Haram.”
They are rehabilitated, fed, clothed, given “skills,” and reinserted into society. Some are allegedly integrated into the military and security architecture.
Those who agitate with words and political demands are kidnapped in foreign countries, brought back forcefully, locked away, and denied justice for years.
So again: We know what Nnamdi Kanu wants.
What do the jihadist terrorists want?
And why is the Nigerian state more comfortable rehabilitating those who slaughter citizens than dialoguing with the man asking for a political solution?
When Other Nations Faced Separatists, They Used Their Brains. Not Just Their Prisons
Nigeria likes to pretend that talking to an agitator is weakness. No, it’s intelligence. And history proves it.
1. *United Kingdom – IRA (Northern Ireland)*
The IRA bombed, killed and terrorized the UK for decades. What did Britain do in the end?
They negotiated.
The Good Friday Agreement (1998) was not signed with choir boys, it was signed with people the British establishment had once branded as terrorists. The result? A political solution that drastically reduced violence and brought relative peace.
2. *Colombia – FARC*
The FARC rebels fought the Colombian state for over 50 years. The government did not just jail everybody and pretend the problem was gone.
They entered peace talks. In 2016, they signed a peace agreement. Fighters laid down arms, transitioned into a political party.
Were they saints? No.
But the state chose dialogue, not endless war.
3. *South Africa --- ANC and Apartheid*
Under apartheid, the ANC was branded a terrorist organization. Nelson Mandela was labeled a terrorist. What did the apartheid regime eventually do?
They released Mandela. They negotiated. They allowed multi-party democracy. Today, the same man they called a terrorist is celebrated worldwide as a symbol of freedom.
4. *Spain – ETA (Basque Separatists)*
Spain battled ETA for decades. Yes, they used force. But finally, they embraced political dialogue and reforms. Today, ETA is disarmed and dissolved.
5. *Philippines – MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)*
Bangsamoro separatists waged war in the southern Philippines. The government didn’t just throw everybody into jail: They negotiated autonomy.
Today, there’s a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region with powers agreed upon by both sides. In all these cases, governments realized a basic truth:
You cannot bomb an idea to death.
You cannot imprison a grievance.
Yet in Nigeria, instead of sitting with Southeastern leaders, governors, and Kanu to address long-standing injustice, marginalization, and cries for self-determination, the state chose the lazy route:
Arrest him. Lock him. Demonize him. Prolong his trial. Weaponize the judiciary.
The same political class that once said: “I don’t believe in one Nigeria.” …is now locking up a man whose “crime” is saying the exact same thing from the other side of the country.
The same Nigeria that:
Forgives killers of police officers.
Negotiates with bandits.
Pays ransom through the backdoor.
Pulls out carpets for “repentant” terrorists…
…is telling the world that Kanu is the main problem.
Make it make sense. You say: “We cannot negotiate with someone calling for secession.”
But you can negotiate with people calling for your death, killing your soldiers, and burning your communities?
So the message is clear:
Kill citizens → we may forgive you.
Challenge injustice → we will destroy you.
That is not justice.
That is not security.
Narratives Are For TV. Reality Is For History.
Narratives call Kanu a terrorist.
Reality says: He didn’t bomb Abuja. He didn’t massacre worshippers in Owo. He didn’t kidnap schoolgirls in Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara, Kaduna or Kebbi. He didn’t overrun military bases in Borno.
You don’t have to like him.
You don’t have to support Biafra.
You don’t even have to agree with IPOB.
But if your brain is still functioning, you must admit this: The Nigerian state is more afraid of a man with a microphone than it is of terrorists with RPGs and anti-aircraft guns.
That alone tells you everything about where their priorities lie.
A serious country would have:
1. Opened a structured dialogue with Kanu, South-East elders, Ohanaeze, governors, and stakeholders.
2. Addressed core grievances: marginalization, security, political exclusion, economic injustice.
3. Reformed the constitution to reflect true federalism and regional autonomy.
4. Defined red lines clearly: no violence against civilians, no attacks on security agents and enforced that standard equally across the board.
5. Pursued terrorists relentlessly, rather than rehabilitating them into future time bombs.
You Can Cage A Man, Not His Question
You can cage Nnamdi Kanu.
You can criminalize IPOB.
You can militarize the South-East.
But you cannot arrest the question he raised:
Why are some regions treated like conquered territories?
Why is justice selective?
Why are killers forgiven and agitators demonized?
Why is the state strong against unarmed citizens and weak against armed terrorists?
Until Nigeria finds the courage to answer those questions honestly, with justice and political wisdom, this crisis will not end with or without Kanu in custody.
Because in the end: Narratives can be manufactured in studios. Reality is written in blood on the streets.
And history will not remember who won the media war. It will remember who stood on the side of justice
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