BIAFRA NEWS : South-east governors resolve to meet Tinubu over Nnamdi Kanu

 

Mr Kanu has been in detention since he was rearrested in June 2021 and brought back to Nigeria from Kenya under controversial circumstances.

 The South-east Governors Forum has resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu to seek the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

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This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the forum’s closed-door meeting at the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.

Mr Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been in detention since he was rearrested in June 2021 and repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya under controversial circumstances.

  that the governors of Imo (Hope Uzodinma), Ebonyi (Francis Nwifuru), Abia (Alex Otti) and Anambra (Charles Soludo) attended the meeting which was hosted by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

The Chairperson of the forum and Governor of Imo State, Mr Uzodinma, who read the communiqué to reporters, said the forum also resolved to tackle insecurity in the South-east.

“The forum resolved to visit Mr President (Tinubu) to discuss pressing issues concerning the South-east region.

“The forum also resolved to interface with the federal government to secure the release of Mr Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.

The governors did not indicate when they will meet with Mr Tinubu over the release of the IPOB leader.

Obasanjo’s solidarity visit

Mr Uzodinma said the forum received a delegation comprising former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku and the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe, during their Tuesday meeting.

He said the delegation came on a solidarity visit to the forum.

Insecurity in South-east

The chairperson said the forum deliberated on the reviewed report of the South-east Security and Economic Summit held in Owerri, Imo State, on 28 September 2023.

The governor said they have agreed to implement the part of the report pertaining to security and economic integration in the South-east

He added that they also affirmed their desire to put “actionable plans on the key issues agreed” in the report.

Ogbonnaya Onu’s burial committee

Mr Uzodinma also said the forum commiserated with the governments and people of the South-east over the loss of a former Nigerian Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

He said the burial committee of the former minister, which has been constituted by the forum, will be headed by a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, while a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, will serve as secretary.

First time

This is the first time the South-east Governors Forum would publicly announce a plan to seek the release of Mr Kanu since he was rearrested and repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya.

Meanwhile, several South-east leaders, including Governors Soludo and Mbah, have repeatedly asked for the release of the IPOB leader. But their requests were ignored by the Nigerian government.

 

Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.

The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the SSS.

However, about one week later, the government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order at the Supreme Court staying its execution.

Delivering judgement on the appeal on 15 December 2023, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.