How is wearing an “isi-agu” attire a problem? How this is the first piece I chose to write after a short break is an indication that I have tried my possible best to make it make sense to me but it still doesn’t make sense to me so I want to hear what you all think; I woke up to the news of how the DSS denied the Indigenous leader of Biafra the right to wear his traditional attire popularly known as “isi’agu” it is called “isi-agu” because of the lion head pattern drawn on it, men and women of the east wear this on different occasions and event.
The easterners wear this attire because it is a symbol of their struggles, who they are and how they are survivors and hustlers, the lion is said to be the king of the jungle, and the igbo man and people think same about themselves. The “isi-agu” is not worn by an easterner because they want to be violent rather it symbolises strength and control, it is just their traditional attire just like every other culture or tribe. While the Hausa man wears his “Baban Riga or Kaftan” and a Yoruba man wears his “agbada” the igbo man comes out with his “Isi-agu”.
An outfit that makes you confident; like a friend of mine goes to the gym and exercises because it makes her confident and helps her to be more productive, another enjoys arranging her space and keeping things in order cause it helps her mind, I know another who will never step out without his hat on, it goes on and on, people want to do or wear what they are comfortable on, hence why I question the the decision of the DSS to deny the indigenous leader a change of clothe because it has the lion’s head embroiled on them.
This is not about a particular tribe but about the fact that our leaders don’t rate us at all. Do they think Nigerians are dumb or unaware because how do we explain this? Our justice system is so messed up, confused judiciary system. Now this isn’t about what the igbos want but the fact that this is the height of tribal and ethnic sentiments.
The department of Security Service (DSS) denied Nnamdi the right to wear his “Isi-agu” an outfit that was brought for him to wear after the judge ordered that he should be allowed to change from the Fendi jumpsuit he had been wearing for his court trial, Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Mike Ozeekhome a senior advocate of Nigeria raised up the issue of not been able to get new clothes for the indigenous leader because the DSS won’t allow that, when he was finally allowed to have a change of clothes the DSS denied him that, because his clothes has the ISI-AGU, the same outfit our president wore to Imo state for an event, the same outfit other leaders and there people are allowed to wear without been questioned or denied? the same outfit our leaders wear during elections and campaigns to win the hearts of the igbo people but it is seen as a taboo.
Is this even a case? or the federal government and the DSS are just trying to buy one? because what is this bias and racial discrimination? are they intimidated? or they just want to prolong this case? why pick offence where there is none? We are fighting for one Nigeria they said but here an igbo can’t wear his traditional attire, you are not granting the request of the people of Biafra but you will not let them wear their own traditional outfit because this is also a threat to the Republic of Nigeria?
As a defense to why he ordered Nnamdi not wear the Isi-agu, the DSS counsel said “My Lord, clothes that were brought for the defendant had lion’s head embroiled on them, and the defendant (Mr Kanu) can’t wear clothes with a lion’s head. “Clothes with lion’s head offend the standard operating procedures” This is funny, really? clothes with the Isi-agu are against the standard procedures?
Why we are on this someone should please define the standard operating procedures because I really want to get this. We are not supposed to be talking about the Isi-agu if our leaders don’t think we are daft.
