The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a prominent socio-political group, has urged the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a Christmas gift for the South-East region.
Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, the Vice-President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, made the request in an interview on Sunday, emphasizing that Kanu’s release is long overdue, especially since competent courts have twice found him not guilty.
Okeke-Ogene expressed hope that the Supreme Court, scheduled to deliver a judgment on December 15, 2023, would do justice to the matter.
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He urged President Bola Tinubu to consider releasing Kanu as a gesture for peace in the region, citing the examples of former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, who employed a diplomatic approach to resolve issues in the Niger Delta.
The Ohanaeze leader warned that failure to release Kanu by December 15 would result in a “black Christmas” in the South-East, stressing the importance of a functional judiciary independent of government influence.
While Okeke-Ogene criticized the Federal Government for not collaborating with Finland to address the IPOB autopilot arm led by Simon Ekpa, he highlighted the need for diplomatic solutions to avoid exacerbating insecurity in the region.
In a related development, IPOB, through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, expressed concern over the promotion of Justice Tsammani Haruna to the Supreme Court, alleging that it was a reward for remanding Kanu in DSS detention without charges.
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