Mary Chinwe Okenyi is a lady of strong will, determination and character. As a budding literary writer, she has been able to touch many hearts with her literary. One of her first literary works, The Trial of Nnamdi Kanu drew a lot of controversy and debate after its publication.
However, few days after life imprisonment was handed down to the IPOB leader, WITHIN NIGERIA reporter caught up with her in Nsukka, Enugu state where they had a chat on the tortuous legal journey of Nnamdi Kanu and his hope of release.
Excerpts
Briefly explain yourself.
My name is Okenyi Mary Chinwe. I am from Nsukka in Enugu State, Nigeria. I graduated with a degree in English and Educational Management. And I’m currently running my master’s programme in the same department, Peaceland University, Enugu.
I’m a novelist, screenwriter, poet and playwright. I have written five novels, 20 movie scripts, ten poems and one Inspirational book. The Trial of Nnamdi Kanu is my first play.
You wrote a book on the legal trial of IPOB leader entitled THE TRIAL OF NNAMDI KANU. What is the book all about?
The Title is not figurative. It’s all about the Trial of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
What motivated you to write the book?
What motivated me to write the play is the abuse of human rights, the murder of democracy in our country.
One of the fundamental human rights is Freedom of expression and speech. But in a democratic country where you can’t even express yourself without the government coming after you, we mourn for the death of democracy and human rights in our country.
In a country where Terrorists are given free hands to kill, maim and kidnap under the watch of our leaders and they’re not persecuted but pardoned and even recruited into the army but a man who plucked up the courage to say we can longer stand the rot and deep corruption and insecurities in this country. The partiality in allocation of our natural resources, and appointments of offices, we say we’re one Nigeria but the Easterners are treated like they are born to serve while North and West are born to rule. Not only that, we are hated by other two tribes and are constantly targeted by them. How can you call us one Nigeria.
It’s under this hypocritical proclamation that Kanu started the move for Biafran freedom.
We have seen how the government has been treating his case with injustice and lies, accusing him of being a terrorist meanwhile the real terrorists are unabashedly showcasing themselves and their activities in the social media and the government has done nothing. Those they claimed to have arrested were pardoned and put in the army.
This shows the extent to which the country has decayed.
Watching the Trials of Nnamdi Kanu, I could not remain silent. As a writer, it’s our duty to address the societal ills.
So, I felt it as a duty to write about the Trial of this man who has refused to be silenced or bribed by the corrupt government. Like the Moses of our time, he sacrificed so much willing to die to set his people free.
How can I not feel compelled to write about his heroic act and the injustice with which our so-called democratic leaders handled his case. We are in an era of tyrannical leadership. A country where chicken eats its own chicks. In the midst of all this, a hero from the East emerged and challenged the corrupt government and he was tagged a terrorist.
Are you a member of IPOB, MASSOB or any of the secessionists group?
I am Igbo. That automatically makes me a Biafran.
When you heard that Nnamdi Kanu has been handed down life imprisonment after his trial, how did you feel?
I was not surprised because I knew that would happen. Nigeria doesn’t have law. Forget about all these circus shows staged by clowns in the name of Judiciary. I lost hope in the Judiciary long before Kanu was arrested. I knew, we knew the court is controlled by the government.
The three arms of government, Legislature, Judiciary and executive have become one, controlled by the latter. Nigerian court is just a stage for clowns and puppets dancing to the tones of the government leaders.
So I wasn’t surprised at all at the outcome of the trial. In fact I was somehow glad that the court has finally brought its play or circus show to an end. It was becoming very boring and time wasted. Now that their boring drama has ended, we now know where we stand.
Did you follow his court proceedings?
Yes. But at a certain point I stopped because I realized the court was purposely prolonging his case just to infringe his freedom.
But sometimes I would just check the court proceedings to know if they would end their drama.
At what point did you start thinking that he may not get justice like you alleged?
I can’t precisely say but I think it was when the government let go the captured Boko Haram and called them ‘Repented Terrorists’. That was when I knew. Or maybe it was after series of court adjournment that led nowhere or when the court acquitted him but the government refused to release him. Series of unjust acts and happenings led to my conclusion that they’re not going to release him. They’re only buying time for themselves, but they had already made the decision not to release him.
Corruption in the government and judiciary is not a new thing. It’s become a political culture.
Tell us, was he convicted because he committed the crime or because he was an Igbo man?
The answer is obvious to those who like the truth. The enemies of truth would say he is a terrorist. But a man of justice and good conscience knows that if Kanu was not an Igbo man, he won’t even stay in DSS for such a long period. They convicted him not only because he is an Igbo man but because he wants Biafra.
Now that he has been jailed for life and his colleague, Simon Ekpa has also been put behind bars in Finland, do you think that Biafra sovereignty agitation is still worth its while?
What you should know is that Biafra symbolizes freedom. Freedom from oppression, suppression, racial discrimination, unjust killings and infringement of human right. Biafra does not belong to Kanu or Simon Ekpa. It belongs to all Igbos who are tired of the rot going on in the country.
With or without Kanu and Simon Ekpa, the fight for Biafra continues. And no government or traitors among the Igbos can stop it.
With the life imprisonment handed down to Nnamdi Kanu, do you still have hope of Biafra?
Now my hope is even higher. Biafra is like the sun that no cloud can stop it from shining again. It’s beyond human power to stop Biafra. You know one thing I don’t like about Kanu is that he is too much a peaceful man. That’s why it amuses me how such a man would be tagged a terrorist. If Kanu is indeed a violent man, I am assuring you that Nigeria would have been divided long time ago. See the way real terrorists operate and the government knows that. I still believe that Kanu will be released. But as for Biafra, it’s like the sun that no cloud can stop it from coming out again to shine. After the cloud, the sun will still shine.
How did you end the story bearing in mind that the case was still in court?
The story hasn’t ended. It only stopped with Kanu still in DSS custody. I’m hoping to write Part 2 of The Trial of Nnamdi Kanu when he has been released.
Is Nnamdi Kanu aware of the work?
No. I don’t know how to let him know of its existence.
Did you feel threatened by any security agents?
No, at least not yet and I hope it doesn’t happen. But I am not afraid. Kanu gave his all to us, setting a good example for us to follow. I’m not afraid to stand with him in truth, not minding who feels the bitterness of the truth. If we all should become cowards and shy away from speaking up when something is wrong, our generations will suffer the consequences of our silence and cowardice. The book isn’t just about Kanu, it is about what is right.
If you have the opportunity to see Nnamdi Kanu in prison, what will you tell him concerning Biafra agitation?
What I will tell him, I will thank him for being a man of his people, Moses of our time and lover of justice and truth, a soldier of what is right, a representative and warrior of the oppressed, a brave man who didn’t waver despite the torture, threats and unjust treatments and imprisonment by our zoo leaders. I will tell him that I and so many Igbos and the world are solidly behind him, all who support justice sing his name. He has become a representative of justice and bravery. And we will never give up on Biafra. I hope to see him outside the prison as a free man.
