INDIGENOUS People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu has warned that the lockdown introduced by the federal government to combat the global coronavirus pandemic may end up killing more people than the virus itself.
So far, Nigeria has only had 172 cases of coronavirus and two deaths but there are fears that this could multiply if the necessary precautions are not taken. With health experts warning the number of affected Nigerians could potentially rise to 39,000, the federal government has introduced lockdowns in Lagos and Ogun States and the Federal Capital Territory, the most affected parts of the country.
This, however, has created severe hardship as many Nigerians, especially small artisans and traders, survive living off daily earnings. Lagos State government has been handing out food parcels but the packages have been woefully inadequate and even plans to pay one-off sums to the most vulnerable families are unlikely to address the chronic problem of income loss.
Warning of an impending crisis, Mr Kanu said hunger may kill poor Nigerians as a result of the lock down and urged the government to be more particular about the welfare of Nigerians. He also condemned the actions of security forces enforcing the lockdown as they have resorted to using force, beating up people they see on the streets.
Mr Kanu said: “There must be something wrong with the brain of a black African man, especially those in authority. I don’t know if this raw animalistic wickedness is genetic predisposition or if it was caused by centuries of Arabian and European humiliation and bastardisation of our essence as a race.
“Whatever it is, we better re-evaluate post-colonial societal structures in Africa because beasts are literally walking the streets in human form. This level of primordial barbarism is uncalled for, especially at a time when responsible governments should be showing concern for the welfare of its citizens.
“How can you be subjecting innocent people with hungry children to feed to such torture and horrendous physical assault, sometimes leading to death for simply going out to get some food to eat when the same government asked them to stay indoors for days on end without providing food for them? When other races around the world say Africans are primitively evil, soulless and devoid of human empathy we shout racism but the level of brutality in the zoo and other black African countries is a cause for concern.”
