Release Kanu As Christmas Gift To South-East People, Ohanaeze Tells FG

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has requested the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, as a Christmas gift to the Igbo race.

Kanu is being held at the custody of the State Security Service since 2022 after he was arrested in Kenya, and renditioned to Nigeria.

He is charged with running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason. Nigeria’s Court of Appeal however discharged and acquitted him, but the FG refused to abide by the ruling. Kanu’s faith will be decided on December 15, 2023 when the Supreme Court rules if his continued detention despite the court order does not go against the rule of law.

The appeal for his release was made by the Vice-President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene.

According to him, anything short of Kanu’s release meant the hope of the people in the South-East had been dashed this Christmas.

Okeke-Ogene however said Kanu’s ordeal was not being orchestrated by some prominent Igbo people as being peddled in some quarters.

Quoting him, “We don’t want to dwell much on the politics about the release of Kanu. If he is released on December 15, it is long overdue because competent courts of jurisdiction have on two occasions found him not guilty and also released him, but till now, nothing was done about it.

“We hope that the Supreme Court will equally do justice to it with the expectation that every Igbo man is expecting that President Bola Tinubu should know that the money and lives being wasted on the issue are not worth it. And he should, therefore, set the man free as a Christmas gift to the South-East if he truly wants peace to return to the region.

“The president should emulate former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, who used the carrot and stick approach to stop the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta region. The average Igbo person is also facing the same situation.

“Kanu should be a free man from December 15 and anything short of that has dashed the hope of the whole of the people of South-East this Christmas. If he is not released, it will be a black Christmas in the region.

“We are not in the position to pre-empt the court but for now, we are looking up to the Supreme Court, if it is a country where the judiciary works, we don’t have to be afraid that the Federal Government would influence the judgment.

“As far as we know, there is a group now using the agitation to cause insecurity in the region. First of all, if Kanu is released, we will hear from him and we will all join hands together to discuss these issues. And our people hiding in the bushes would come out and be rehabilitated.”