BIAFRA NEWS : IPOB: Tinubu under intense pressure to let Nnamdi Kanu go

 

By Nnamdi Ojiego, Steve Oko, Dickson Omobola and Chinonso Alozie

The latest move by the South-East governors and members of the National Assembly, NASS, to meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has sparked diverse reactions. Kanu has been a subject of contention in Nigeria’s political landscape.

 While some see him as a symbol of their struggle for self-determination, others view him as a threat to national unity.

Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization; Olisa Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association; and Ikoro Ndigbo, among other groups, have welcomed the move as a step towards finding a political solution to the impasse whereas spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, kicked against the proposal.
Suleiman argued that Kanu’s release would undermine the country’s criminal justice system and embolden separatist groups.
Furthermore, some have described the move as “belated”, suggesting that it should have come earlier given the urgency of the situation.
Kanu’s continued detention has been a source of concern for many in the South-East region.
The IPOB leader’s release has been a longstanding demand of various groups and individuals, including candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi, respectively.
Governors from the South-East under the umbrella of the South-East Governors’ Forum, Tuesday, met in Enugu with a resolve to meet with Tinubu to plead for the release of Kanu.
The decisions of the governors were contained in a communique read to the media by their Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
Interestingly, barely 24 hours after the governors met, senators from the region numbering 15, led by a former Abia State Deputy Governor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, met with the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in Abuja, to plead with Tinubu for Kanu’s release.
They submitted a letter to the AGF seeking political solution to the criminal charges against Kanu.
Also, South-East lawmakers in the House of Representatives called on the President to consider releasing Kanu.
The region’s caucus in the House made the call in a statement signed by the 43 lawmakers from Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi states.
The lawmakers noted that an out-of-court settlement remained the best option, adding that it would also restore peace in the South-East geo-political zone.
Recall that 50 members of the House of Representatives from different parts of Nigeria and political parties, known as Concerned Federal Lawmakers for Peace and Security in the South-East, had, on June 19, appealed to Tinubu to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 107(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for the release of the IPOB leader from detention.
The clamour for political solution in Kanu’s case had heightened recently with Igbo political and traditional leaders, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, pressing the FG to drop the terrorism charges against the IPOB leader.

Not guilty
Kanu, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, has been in the custody of the Department of State Service, DSS, since June 2021 after he was repatriated from Kenya.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on March 19, 2024, rejected his bail application. Therefore, the proposed meeting between the South-East governors, NASS members, and Tinubu is seen as a positive step towards finding a solution to the impasse over Kanu’s detention.
Speaking, Agbakoba welcomed the move by the governors and the federal lawmakers. “It’s very good”, he said and urged the President to consider the calls for political solution to the lingering issue.
Also, the Convener of Ikoro Ndigbo, Ugochimereze Chinedu Asuzu, commended the South-East governors and other leaders for their efforts to engage with the President on the pressing issue of insecurity in the region.
He said: “Although belated, their intervention is a welcome development, as it prioritizes the welfare of the people, which is the essence of leadership.

“The prolonged detention of IPOB leader has had a devastating impact on the region, hindering businesses, development, and fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression.

“I urge the Tinubu government to consider the delegation’s appeal and work towards a peaceful resolution, fostering development, harmony, and prosperity in the South-East”.
Similarly, Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, noted that the renewed efforts by the governors and other stakeholders to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu were a welcome development.

“I know that there have been previous calls by some former and serving South-East governors, NASS members and some political leaders in the region for the release of Kanu but this call has not elicited any positive response from the President”, Nwanguma stated.
“RULAAC had also recently made a similar call, and it can’t be overemphasized that the FG needs to reassess its strategies in tacking insecurity in the South East”.
He urged the FG to explore dialogue and constructive engagement, stressing that the reliance, almost exclusively on force, has not worked but instead, escalating insecurity.
“As RULAAC previously argued, releasing Nnamdi Kanu is a necessary step towards de-escalating violence and insecurity in the South East”, he added.
“Nnamdi Kanu’s release will likely end the albatross of ‘sit at home’ which appears to have become a permanent weekly ritual contributing to loss of man hours, huge economic losses, curtailment of the rights to movement, dignity and life, and increased hardship in the region.
“It will reduce attacks on security personnel and infrastructure which often result to reprisal attacks subjecting a whole community to indiscriminate and collective punishment for crimes committed by a few misguided individuals who in some cases are not members of the affected community. “

Slumber
In the same vein, the National President, Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka, the governors and other Igbo leaders woke up very late from their slumber when enough damages had been done by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said: “Insecurity contributed almost 60 per cent to the rotten economy of Nigeria; therefore, to put an end to unknown gunmen in South-East, bandits and Boko Haram in the North is another strategic means to grow Nigeria economy.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should ignore all forms of blackmail and conspiracy by former President Buhari’s government against Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB and commence a peace-building project and hearken to the voice of eminent Nigerians on the political solution to the problem by directing the AGF to withdraw all the charges against the IPOB leader and grant him unconditional release.”