Only recently, the Southeast Governors Forum, at its meeting in the Government House, Enugu, resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu, to secure the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
In a similar vein, Senators from the zone, had a closed-door meeting with the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Wednesday, to demand Kanu’s release.
The 15 senators, who were led by a former Abia Deputy Governor, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, handed over their letter of appeal for Kanu’s release to Fagbemi for onward passage to the president.
According to them, unless Kanu was released, social and economic activities in the Southeast region will continue to be stagnant.
Abaribe who spoke to the press on behalf of his colleagues lamented that the economy and social life in the Southeast had suffered enough due to the continued incarceration of the Biafra nation agitator.
He noted with grave concern that the peaceful demand of the detained IPOB leader had been hijacked by hoodlums and hardened criminals leading to wanton killings of innocent people, including security operatives.
Abaribe said he had already met with Kanu at the headquarters of the DSS and that Kanu had agreed to abide by any conditional release.
He expressed optimism that once Kanu is released, the tension and acrimonies engulfing the Southeast region since 2021 when he was clamped into DSS custody would become event of the past.
ALSO READ Southeast Governors to work on Nnamdi Kanu’s release
The Senators therefore pleaded with the AGF to convey their message to Tinubu and for the AGF to use his position to terminate all charges brought against the IPOB leader by the federal government.
They said that virtually all political leaders, religious leaders and stakeholders have unanimously agreed that Kanu be released for peace to bounce back to the region.
It would be recalled that Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 by the Federal Government and brought to the country for trial on terrorism charges.
Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja declined to admit him to bail on the ground that he had earlier jumped bail in which Abaribe was his surety.
Kanu has been in the custody of the DSS on the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
