A socio-economic organisation in Igbo land, the Igbo Professional and Economic Development Association, has demanded the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warning that his continuous incarceration is fuelling anger and resentment across the country.
According to the group, it amounts to injustice on the part of the Federal authorities to continue to hold him behind bars, adding that those receiving presidential pardon and being released from the prisons were not better than the Igbo leader, and probably have committed worse crimes than Kanu.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Media Committee of the group, a copy of which was obtained by our Correspondent on Tuesday.
The statement read, “We are not calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s release out of blind loyalty or endorsement of his rhetoric. We are calling for common sense and justice. His continued incarceration – despite multiple court orders and appeals from well-meaning Nigerians, political leaders, and traditional rulers has become both a legal and moral scandal.
“In the face of the government’s open negotiations with terrorists and violent criminals, the refusal to release Kanu reinforces the perception that the Southeast is treated under a different set of laws and standards. This sense of injustice continues to fuel anger, resentment, and insecurity.
“The Federal Government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace and national healing by complying with court orders and releasing Nnamdi Kanu. His release would not only open the door to dialogue and reconciliation but also remove one of the key rallying points exploited by violent elements in the region.
“History has shown that coercion does not resolve political conflicts – dialogue does. The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta, flawed as it was, proved that engagement and inclusion can end violence where force failed. The same approach is needed in the Southeast today.
“A sincere political solution that addresses the root causes of exclusion and injustice – alongside accountability for human rights violations – is the only sustainable way to restore peace and rebuild trust between the government and the people.
“The call becomes more imperative as the president just announced the granting of amnesty and forgiveness to over 82 convicted Nigerians, some of them who committed heinous crimes against the country. If Nnamdi Kanu is included in this list of pardoned people, it will be the most welcomed development in our quest for a peaceful and united country.
“Many prominent Nigerians have been calling for the pardon and release of Nnamdi Kanu, including recently former president OlusegunObasanjo and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, among others. All these well-meaning Nigerians cannot be wrong at the same time in this issue of the prolonged incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu.
“In the final analysis, the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is unjust, unlawful, and counterproductive. It perpetuates a cycle of alienation and distrust that fuels the insecurity now ravaging the Southeast.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy governed by the rule of law while it chooses which court orders to obey and which region deserves justice.
Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is not a concession – it is a necessary step toward restoring justice, rebuilding peace, and reaffirming that all Nigerians, regardless of region, are equal before the law.”
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