Calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), have intensified, with prominent voices from various quarters urging President Bola Tinubu to take action.
The push for Kanu’s freedom has gained momentum recently, reflecting a broad consensus on the need for a resolution.
Chief Edwin Clark, the Ijaw leader and Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has been at the forefront of this advocacy.
He emphasized the importance of reintegrating the Igbo nation into Nigerian affairs 54 years after the Civil War and highlighted the necessity of releasing Kanu to promote national unity.
Similarly, the Association of Niger Delta Upland Communities (ANDUC) has joined the chorus, though their ultimatum-laden message has sparked some disagreement. Nevertheless, the overarching sentiment calls for a peaceful and brotherly resolution.
Over the weekend, Ikenga Ugochinyere, a House of Representatives member representing Ideato Federal Constituency (PDP, Imo State), sent a letter to media houses revealing that between 44 and 50 members from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP) signed a document advocating for Kanu’s release.
They urged Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to invoke his constitutional powers under Section 174 to drop the charges against Kanu.
This request follows similar gestures extended to Chief Sunday Igboho and Omoyele Sowore, who were facing treason charges.
The issue of Kanu’s detention has been contentious since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in July 2021.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, cleared eight of Kanu’s 15 charges on April 8, 2022.
The Court of Appeal further dropped all charges against him and ordered his discharge on October 14, 2022. Despite these rulings, the Federal Government pursued the case to the Supreme Court, which ordered a restart of the treason trial. Kanu remains in the custody of the Directorate of State Service (DSS).
The United Nations Human Rights Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for Kanu’s “immediate and unconditional” release on July 22, 2022, deeming his rendition from Kenya illegal under international law.
This stance has bolstered the perception of Kanu as a prisoner of conscience and a victim