The Campaign for Democracy (CD) in South East and Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) have called on Federal Government to releas leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to restore peace in South East.
The groups also urged President Bola Tinubu to rise above parochialism by releasing Kanu to stop the tension and insecurity across the country, particularly in the South East without further delay.
In a joint statement in Abuja, signed by Chairman of CD in South East and Executive Director, of HURIDE, Dede Uzor Uzor, the bodies said if Kanu is released, criminals who operated under the guise of agitators or freedom fighters would have no reason to cause mischief again.
The groups commended efforts of some South East Governors to stop Sit-at-home in the zone but stated that this effort cannot succeed without releasing Kanu.
The statement party reads, “Instead of resorting to mere propaganda which does not yield much result but rather escalates insecurity in the zone, the Governors and other political leaders in the zone should work hard for the Federal Government to release the leader of the Biafran agitator.
“Federal Government under the immediate President Muhammadu Buhari threw away the opportunity of restoring peace in the country by refusing to release Nnamdi Kanu when both the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court set him free.
“This is even when Buhari himself told a delegation of Igbo leaders led by First Republic politician, Late Chief Mbazuluike Amechi, that he will look into their request but later changed his mind that he would want Court to decide the fate of Nnamdi Kanu and a few months later Chief Mbazuluike slumped and died.
“Unfortunately, when the Court decided the fate of Kanu which was contrary to Buhari’s expectation, he refused to release him, saying that the former President threw the rule of law and statesmanship to the dog and clung to parochial interest by refusing to set Kanu free despite judgments of Courts of competent jurisdictions and by blatantly refusing to obey the rule of law in turn bastardizing and threatening the foundation of our democracy.”
