From Magnus Eze, Abuja
A group of clerics, under the banner of Igbo Gospel Ministers Restoration Association (IGMRA), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore those prodding him to re-arrest leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
They warned that any attempt to re-arrest Kanu would jeopardise achievements so far made by South East leaders who have brokered peace, through dialogue, with the separatist campaigners.
The group also urged the president to handle the matter cautiously and praised the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South East senators and governors of the zone for dialoguing with IPOB, Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), and urged those fighting for restructuring and true federalism in Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta Coalition, not to relent in the struggle for the right of the people.
In a statement released in Abuja, at the weekend, signed by its President, Apostle O. C. Daniels, Secretary General, Rev. Uyor Jonah and Director, Planning and Organisation, Chidiebere Chikwe respectively, the group commended the Alaigbo Development Forum for pursuing justice for Ndigbo in Nigeria and for drawing the attention of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice to the plight of the South East.
“Before now, we expected that the federal government would have called Kanu, IPOB/MASSOB leaders and Niger Delta Coalition for dialogue, which, we believe, will foster peace, unity, harmony, understanding and progress of the nation but they neglected it…
“We, hereby, caution the federal government not to listen to anybody or group of persons pushing for the re-arrest of Kanu and others because that will further jeopardise the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians to restore peace, unity, justice and love of each other as one nation,” they said.