The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Thursday, begged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), being detained in the custody of the State Security Services on charges of terrorism and treason.
Ohanaeze made the plea through its President-General, Senator John Azuta-Mbata. The Ohanaeze leader said the call became necessary to enable Kanu to seek proper medical attention.
In a short, viral video, the Ohanaeze leader said:
“I would like to call upon the federal government of Nigeria to quickly release Nnamdi Kanu. The government has no serious advantage in keeping him. It is important that the government ensures his safety and his welfare and that it allows him to go and get medical treatment as quickly as possible.
“The government must adopt a political solution to this situation. I do not believe that the government has any serious advantage in keeping him any further.”
In the same video, Azuta-Mbata also called on the Igbo across the country to ensure they register in the ongoing voters’ registration exercise and obtain their voter cards. “I’m calling upon Ndigbo wherever you are in Nigeria to quickly go and take advantage of the voter registration exercise that is going on right now. Go and get your cards as quickly as possible,” he said.
Recall that Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges including treasonable felony. He was granted bail in 2017 but while he was in Umuahia, soldiers invaded his Afaraukwu Ibeku country home, ostensibly to re-arrest him. The operation left in its trail, deaths andn destruction. Kanu fled the country and the federal government accused him of jumping bail. Still trailing Kanu, the federal government abducted him in Kenya in June 2021 and renditioned him to the country. Since then, Kanu has been detained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), from where he is being tried for terrorism among other, charges.
His continued detention has remained one of Nigeria’s most divisive political and security issues.
