By Praise Chinecherem
The Igboezue International Association Nigeria and the Diaspora, IIAND has called on President Bola Tinubu to release unconditionality, leader of Indigenous People of Diaspora Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The group, worried by Kanu’s continued detention and reports of his deteriorating health condition, described his continued detention as disrespect to foremost nationalist, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi and other eminent elder statesmen.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha, National President of IINDA, Chief Pius Okoye, expressed surprise that many months after Tinubu assumed office, the IPOB leader was still being held in captivity.
He said, “It has become very imperative for Mazi Kanu to be released without further delay to avoid any situation that will aggravate the tensed insecurity condition of South East and Nigeria, caused by his continued detention.
“It’s surprising that many months after President Tinubu assumed office, Mazi Kanu is still being held in captivity.
“Nobody expected that Tinubu will enter office and two months after, he did not order the release of Mazi Kanu, who had earlier being discharged and acquitted by competent courts of jurisdiction in Nigeria,
“Nnamdi Kanu’s release from detention is the number one key to the solution of insecurity in South East, and any government like the immediate past that neglects the need for the release of Mazi Kanu, does not want peace in Southeast and Nigeria in general.
“South East has never in its history witnessed the kind of insecurity like it has in recent time and it is attributable to the detention of Mazi Kanu.
‘The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu amounts open hostility and hidden contempt with which the Nigerian state has been treating Ndigbo.
“Notable Igbo people have made calls and visits to the immediate past and present government in the country for the release of Mazi Kanu, but they were rebuffed, neglected and not respected.
“Some of the people who made the calls and visits have died, yet they were not respected by the Nigerian Federal government with the release of Mazi Kanu, as they requested, at least to honour them.
“The likes of elder statesman and foremost nationalist Chief Mbazulike Amachi, eminent former ambassador and immediate past President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, former Governor of Anamvra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, eminent constitutional lawyer and former Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof Ben Nwabueze, made visits to former President Mohammadu Buhari in Abuja and Ebonyi State, for the release of Mazi Kanu.
“Incidentally, they have all died, but were not respected by that administration with the release of Mazi Kanu. It is disrespectful for the government of Nigeria to continue to hold Kanu after their demise.
“This lack of respect for calls by Igbo elder statesmen for the release of Mazi Kanu, cannot not be accepted, extended or tolerated by non Igbo. If such calls were made by their eminent counterparts from other parts of the country we are sure the government would have listened to them and release the person they demanded.
“There is no offense the president of the country cannot forgive concerning any citizen if there is sincerity in the call for one Nigeria. We call on President Tinubu to do the needful now, Nnamdi Kanu, should not be allowed to die in detention. It will not be in the interest of Nigeria, the country will loose greately if anything untoward happen to him in detention. We must warn.”
