By Adadareporters
The family of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, claim South-East political leaders have abandoned Kanu.
According to them, Igbo leaders’ unwillingness to negotiate Kanu’s freedom with President Bola Tinubu is behind the continued detention of their breadwinner.
The IPOB leader has been in detention at the custody of the Department of the State Services in Abuja since June 29, 2021 when he was renditioned from Kenya to Nigeria. He is accused of running a proscribed group, jumping bail and treason.
His recent bail application was declined by Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday.
A statement by Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, questioned why Igbo political leaders had not met with Tinubu to address Kanu’s situation nearly a year since the president assumed office.
The statement partly read, “How be it that nobody among Igbo political leaders has reached Tinubu to discuss Nnamdi Kanu’s release almost a year after he came to power?
“Is it not deliberate? Have they not been gaining access to the president concerning other issues? It’s a shame that Kanu is being punished for asking for the freedom of Ndigbo, and the leaders have abandoned him to die in DSS custody.”
He claimed some people were benefiting from his continued incarceration, hence the apparent apathy on the part of the political elite to engage the president in his release.
Quoting him, “Why can’t they go for his release if they truly love the South East? Something is wrong somewhere. They are benefiting from his continued detention, and that’s why they are not making any serious moves to engage Mr President. Don’t forget that some people sponsored his abduction and extraordinary rendition.
“Why should he be abandoned for asking for the freedom of Biafra? He didn’t take up arms against the government, but he was tagged a terrorist. Yet the same government is busy releasing terrorists from detention.”
Emmanuel threatened to expose the beneficiaries of Kanu’s continued incarceration.
He said, “If they fail to act, Ndigbo and Biafrans at large must hold them responsible. And it may get to a point where the masses may no longer be held back.
“Nobody dies with any secret. Very soon, all those behind Kanu’s continued detention will be exposed. Those benefiting from the insecurity in the South East are the ones enjoying his continued stay in detention. But nothing lasts forever. One day, they will be out of power.”
Emmanuel also expressed sadness over the refusal of Justice Nyako to grant him bail.
