Why Southeast Leaders Have Intensified Calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
In recent weeks, Southeast political leaders have intensified efforts to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu, who founded IPOB in 2012 and later its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), has been in detention since he was arrested by the Nigerian Government in June 2021 in Kenya and brought back to the country, where he has been facing treasonable charges.
Although there have been several calls in the past for the separatist leader to be released, the region’s political elite appear to be leading the charge in the recent renewed push for him to be freed.
On Wednesday, July 15, 2024, 15 Senators from the region, led by Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South senatorial district, held a closed-door meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, where the lawmakers made a case for Kanu to be released.
When he addressed Judiciary Correspondents after the meeting, Abaribe claimed that the continued detention of the IPOB leader was responsible for the insecurity the region is currently witnessing.
The lawmakers’ visit to the AGF comes two days after a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed Kanu’s N1 billion fundamental human rights lawsuit against the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Similarly, just a day before their visit, the South East Governors Forum, in a meeting held in Enugu, “resolved to engage with the Federal Government to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu.”
In June, about 50 House of Representatives members wrote a letter to President Bola Tinubu, asking for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
Also, on Saturday, June 29, Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, asked the Federal Government of Nigeria to release the separatist leader.
“I don’t see any reason for his continuous detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court,” Peter Obi reportedly told reporters in Onitsha, Anambra State.
“The rule of law is an intricate asset that we must cherish and live with. I use this opportunity to plead with the federal government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed,” he said.
Earlier, Kanu expressed readiness to negotiate with the Federal Government.
Following his arrest three years ago, insecurity in the Southeast has increased as ESN and IPOB agitate for his release using several measures, including a sit-at-home order on Mondays. The sit-at-home enforcement by ESN has reportedly cost the region over N4 trillion.
Aside from the significant economic impact, violent agitation by the group has led to loss of lives. Barely a month ago, gunmen believed to be members of ESN attacked a military checkpoint in Aba, the economic hub of Abia State, killing 11 people.
The political elites in the region believe that releasing Kanu will help restore peace in the region.
