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The National President of the Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU), Chief Emeka Diwe, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
This is coming ahead of the proposed visit to Aso Rock Villa by South East governors and other Igbo leaders, over the security situation in the zone.
Kanu’s case is expected to top discussion at the upcoming meeting between South East governors and other Igbo stakeholders and the Presidency.
Leaders of the region had, at a meeting in Abuja, on July 10, “resolved that a high-powered Igbo delegation will meet the Presidency, to discuss on the immediate and remote causes as well as the viable solutions to the insecurity in the South East.”
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Diwe said Kanu’s release was long overdue and, therefore, should be based purely on judicial merit rather than political clemency.
He noted that a court had ordered that the IPOB leader be freed, a situation which was blatantly ignored by the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari, even when the ex-president pledged to obey the court ruling on Kanu.
The ASITU leader said Tinubu would only be showing that he is a democrat if he releases Kanu, in accordance with the court pronouncement. He explained that such release would amount to judicial obedience on the part of government rather than political mercy.
He listed Nigerians from other tribes who had committed various crimes and were detained, but released on mere political considerations. He opined that the continued incarceration of Kanu is just because he is Igbo, stating that it further shows the level of hatred against Ndigbo in Nigeria.
The South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF), last Thursday, in Enugu, seemingly absolved the IPOB leader of being responsible for the insecurity in the region.
