By Adadareporters
The archbishop of Enugu Province and bishop of Enugu Diocese, Anglican Communion, Most Rev Professor Emmanuel Chukwuma, Sunday, charged President Bola Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to Ohanaeze Ndigbo to restore peace in the South East.
Chukwuma gave the advice during a thanksgiving held by Ohanaeze at the Cathedral of Good Shepherd, Independence Layout, Enugu, in commemoration of the Igbo Day celebration holding on Sept 29 in Enugu.
Quoting him, “We must make Tinubu obey the rule of law. Nnamdi Kanu must be released. They should stop deceiving themselves. Let them release Nnamdi Kanu to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and see what will happen.
“Thank God we are overcoming sit-at-home on Mondays. Alaigbo must not be wasted. Let us revive the economy of South East.”
The president general of Ohanaeze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, at the event, commended the governors of the five South-East states for their support to Ohanaeze. He said with such support and that of other Igbo leaders, including Ndigbo in the Diaspora, Igbo would soon regain their greatness.
Recall that Kanu’s special counsel, Barr Aloy Ejimakor, earlier tweeted that those behind renditioning and detaining Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite his acquittal and discharge by Nigeria’s Court of Appeal are fueling insecurity in Igboland.
Kanu is being held at the custody of the State Security Services in Abuja since 2021 when he was forcefully brought to Nigeria from Kenya. He is accused of running a proscribed organization, treason and jumping bail. Court of Appeal, in October last year, ruled that the manner Kanu was arrested in Kenya while travelling as a British citizen and brought to Nigeria amounted to extra-ordinary rendition. The court discharged and acquitted him, and also awarded damages against the federal government.
Ejimakor accused ex-president Muhammadu Buhari of disobeying the rule of law by not releasing Kanu. He also expressed dismay that President Tinubu chose the same path as Buhari.
He tweeted, “Buhari’s rendition/detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his violent suppression of dissent in Southeast were part of his broader agenda to fuel insecurity in Igboland. It’s baffling that a smarter President Tinubu has allowed this to continue by not releasing MNK. It’s a vicious cycle.”
Ejimakor added that Tinubu’s efforts towards securing foreign assistance might be jeopardized because the international community would perceive Nigeria as a country that does not respect ‘its own law’.
According to him, “As Tinubu throttles the globe for foreign assistance, he will be confronted with the perception that Nigeria is a nation that does not respect its own laws, its own courts and the laws of nations. The continued detention of Kanu is a case in point.”
