Nnamdi Kanu Being Held Unjustly, Says Ned Nwoko

…Backs Additional State For South-East

The senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has said that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is being unjustly.

The Senator, while arguing that freeing Kanu from the DSS custody will restore peace to the South-East, backed a creation of Anioma State

He said an additional state for the region will bring it at par with the other four regions and will help end insecurity insisting that the move will address long-standing feelings of marginalisation among the Igbo people.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Nwoko said Anioma State should be carved out of Delta North and added to the Southeast to make the region have six states like others, a move he believes is both politically and constitutionally achievable.

“The problem in the Southeast has to do with perceived injustice by successive governments. If a step is taken to create one state to bring the region at par with other zones, and if Nnamdi Kanu is released, peace will return to the Southeast,” he said.

He argued that Kanu’s continued detention was unjust and that a political solution was needed to resolve his case.

“I believe that he has been held unjustly. There’s been too much delay in prosecuting him. If you want to convict him, do it. But this is someone who should be released as part of the process of restoring peace,” he said, adding that even the courts had made pronouncements that were not respected.

When asked whether the creation of Anioma State could truly end agitation in the Southeast, he maintained that insecurity in the Southeast could not be compared with the violence in other parts of the country, insisting it was rooted in “perceived injustice” rather than terrorism.

“Yes, once Anioma is created and Kanu is released, peace will return. These are young people who feel marginalised. They want to go back to school and work. They only ask for respect and recognition from the Nigerian state,” Nwoko said.

Nwoko revealed that he had earlier discussed the matter with President Bola Tinubu, who, according to him, expressed willingness to support the idea as long as the National Assembly does its part.

“The president understands the need for equity. He wants peace across Nigeria and knows this is one thing that will bring justice to the Igbos,” he said.

Nwoko explained that Anioma State, comprising nine local government areas of Delta North, would become the 37th state of the federation and the sixth in the Southeast.

He argued that the area is predominantly Igbo and has the economic capacity to sustain itself, citing vast deposits of oil and gas, fertile agricultural land, and a strong cultural identity.

“We have the largest gas deposit in Africa, fertile land, and the home of Nollywood. Delta North gets about 40 percent of Delta State’s allocation. We’re more than ready,” he said.

Nwoko also dismissed claims that some groups in Delta North were against the plan, describing such voices as “few and far between.”

He maintained that most Anioma people identify as Igbos and have long supported the quest for a separate state.

He also confirmed that a referendum to determine public approval for Anioma State would likely take place before the end of the year, in line with constitutional requirements.

“The referendum will not be limited to Delta North alone but will extend to the five South-South states since we are taking the slot that belongs to that region,” he explained.

He further expressed optimism that the ongoing constitutional amendment process would favour the creation of one additional state for the Southeast, saying that both Senate and House committees had already reached a consensus during a recent retreat in Lagos.

“This is something our forefathers fought for. Now, we are doing it through the National Assembly. There is really nothing that will stop it,” he said confidently.