By Uche Amunike
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has called on the federal government to release their incarcerated leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, because of his deteriorating health, so as to allow him receive treatment and avert any possible danger to himself.
This information was passed through a statement signed and released by the spokesman of the pro-Biafra group, Emma Powerful.
According to him, the federal government’s refusal to release the leader, even after the court ordered his unconditional release, was an intentional way to provoke the secessionist group.
Hear him: ‘The global family of IPOB, once again call for the unconditional release of our leader from DSS solidarity confinement over his deteriorating health condition. The Federal Government is intentionally provoking IPOB by refusing to release our leader even when the Nigerian and international courts have ordered his unconditional release.’
‘IPOB wishes to reiterate that the life of our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is in danger in the solitary confinement of the DSS in Abuja. We have persistently called on the Federal Government to release our leader as both international and local law institutions have ordered his release.’
He further stated that it was worrisome that just like the government of Muhammadu Buhari, the Tinubu-led government has refused to listen to the voice of reasoning by refusing to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, even though prominent Nigerians, members of the National Assembly, as well as religious and traditional rulers have advocated for his release.
Hear him: ‘Tinubu’s government has discontinued similar cases of terrorism and treason charges against two Yoruba activists and a Fulani militia leader.’
‘In the case of an Igbo man, unarmed freedom activist Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, this same government, has vehemently refused to release him. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu had subsisting local and international judgments that ordered for his release, unlike the other cases discontinued by the federal government without any court judgment.’
The statement further read: ‘We are enumerating all these injustices to demonstrate that the Federal Government of Nigeria is intentionally provoking the anger of IPOB and Ndigbo. IPOB has maintained a non-violent approach in the Biafra struggle irrespective of the high-handedness of the Nigerian government against Biafra activists.’
‘Kanu is seriously sick and must be released unconditionally from DSS solidarity confinement for him to treat himself before something unpredictable and unimaginable happens to him.’
The pro-Biafra group reiterated that for over a decade, their members have been persecuted by Nigerians because of the self determination of Biafra.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since he was extradited from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021 and has remained in solitary confinement all through. Although he has not been found guilty by any court in Nigeria, he is still being detained by the DSS .
Hear him: ‘Although no court in Nigeria has found him guilty yet he is being persecuted by the tribal bigot government of Nigeria.’
‘President Bola Tinubu, please note that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is sick and something terrible can happen to him if he is not released. Nothing must happen to him in the DSS solitary confinement in Abuja.’
As John F. Kennedy said, ‘Those who make peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable.’
