…as more groups press for Nnamdi Kanu’s release

Speculations are rife that the Federal Government of Nigeria may be considering the release from detention of 56-year-old Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group which has been advocating for the separation and independence of a proposed sovereign state of Biafra comprising states of South-Eastern Nigeria and more.

This follows repeated appeals over time by prominent groups and individuals, especially from the zone.

More recently, there has been a torrent of concerted appeals from the South-East Governors’ Forum, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as senators and House of Representatives members from the zone and many more persons of note and influence.

Kanu is standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on treasonable felony.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) since June 2021 after he was arrested in Kenya under controversial circumstances.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on March 19, 2024 rejected his bail application.

Concerns by intercessors around Kanu’s detention and trial tend to concentrate more on a quest for peace and enabling the people of the region to pursue their livelihoods without let or hindrance than on matters of the law. They say the release of the IPOB leader is key reviving the economy of the region.
The South-East states have witnessed significant restiveness resulting in the loss of lives and impacting on security and the economy, carried out by groups purportedly sympathetic to the IPOB leader but from whom he has repeatedly dissociated himself.
Of particular concern has been the illegal sit-at-home order every Monday, called and often enforced by restive militant groups in the area from whom Kanu has also repeatedly dissociated himself.

Businesses have borne the brunt.

The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) had reported that for wasting 71 Mondays from August 9, 2021 to December 19, 2022, the South-East economy lost N5.375 trillion from business scuttled in the process.
The ICIR indicated that Anambra State lost N38.14 billion every Monday on which the illegal sit-at-home was enforced; Imo State lost N13.23 billion; Abia, N10.41 billion; Enugu, N9.33 billion, and Ebonyi, N4.08 billion.

The security crisis in the South-East in many ways affected revenue generation by the five sub-national governments in the region as the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) data suggests.

Stakeholders believe that releasing Nnamdi Kanu would go a long way towards dousing tensions and restoring normal business activities in the region, where they say he is a person of significant influence.

Last Tuesday, the South-East Governors’ Forum, after its meeting in Enugu, announced it had resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu to seek the release of Kanu. The governors of Imo (Hope Uzodinma), Ebonyi (Francis Nwifuru), Abia (Alex Otti) and Anambra (Charles Soludo) attended the meeting which was hosted by Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.

The Chairperson of the forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope 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 Tinubu over the release of the IPOB leader.

One day later, 15 senators from the South-East region, led by former Abia State Deputy Governor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, met with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, 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.

The Cable had earlier reported Abaribe, who represents Abia South senatorial district, as saying that Nnamdi Kanu is willing to fulfil any condition that would lead to his release by the Federal Government.

“I met with Nnamdi Kanu myself on behalf of the rest of the caucus on Monday. And he is very supportive of our plea to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. By the way, the 15 of us signed this letter which has been handed to the attorney-general. Kanu has also assured me that he is ready to fulfil any conditions that will lead to his early release,” Abaribe said.

“If we continue with the legal wrangling, it will continue to cause insecurity because the legitimate demand has been hijacked by criminals, undesirables and all manner of elements who have used it to perpetrate their nefarious deals on the rest of the people in the south-east,” he added.

South-East lawmakers in the House of Representatives have also 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 proclaimed that an out-of-court settlement would be the best option, adding that it would also restore peace in the South-East region.