From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged the South East governors and Igbo leaders to immediately prevail on the Federal Government to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, following the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal in Abuja that discharged him of treason charges levelled by the government.
Spokesperson of the group, Emma Powerful, in a statement, yesterday, tasked governors and stakeholders in the region to eschew fear and take the bold step to negotiate Kanu’s release so he could attend to his health.
“We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, are compelled to ask Igbo governors, Senators, House of Representative members, Ministers, House of Assembly members in every state in Biafraland why the silence over the continued illegal detention of their son, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu despite the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal, has discharged and acquitted him of all the charges brought against him by the Nigerian government?
“IPOB has been observing the countenance of Igbo politicians from the moment the Appeal Court ruled in favour of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and wonder whether this silence is as a result of these leaders being cowardly and afraid of the Fulani government or whether they are accomplices to the kidnapping and extraordinary renditioning of their son.”
Powerful said if Igbo leaders were afraid it meant they were cowards and unworthy to represent people of the region in every event in Nigeria.
The Biafran nation agitaion group said its patience was not infinitely elastic as the continued detention of Kanu by the DSS notwithstanding the Court of Appeal ruling and the accompanying silence from the South East political leaders left much to be desired.
“This is exactly the same attitude of silence exhibited by these so called political, traditional and religious leaders as their sons and daughters are daily abducted and extra judicially murdered. This attitude must be reversed and there is still a small window of opportunity to change this attitude and be very proactive in the defence of your own.”
Powerful said for the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction discharged and acquitted Kanu, the Nigerian government lacked the moral or legal ground to continue the persecution of Kanu.
“The ruling of the Court of Appeal should embolden the South East governors and politicians of South East extraction to demand that the rule of law must be upheld rather than be concerned or afraid of being witch hunted if they stand firm and strong in condemning the utterances and actions of Alhaji Abubakar Malami and the Fulani APC government whose intention it is to subvert the Constitution and judicial pronouncement of the Court of Appeal,” he said.