Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has informed President Bola Tinubu that releasing Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, would be the “best Christmas gift” to the people of the Southeast.
The body stated this against the backdrop of the comments by the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, that self-acclaimed Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, was undermining the efforts of security operatives in the Southeast.
Ohanaeze however said an act of clemency extended towards Kanu would make Musa’s work easy and render Ekpa “inconsequential and irrelevant.”
The apex Igbo sociocultural organization also said Kanu’s release would end the artificial security challenges inherent in the Southeast by criminals using his name as an excuse.
In a statement he signed, the factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isisguzoro, stated that killer herders and criminals have exploited the Biafra agitation to unleash terror in Southeast.
The statement read: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges President Tinubu, as a respected political Father of the nation, to consider the plights and predicaments of the Southeasterners and release Nnamdi Kanu in time for them to enjoy their Christmas and New Year festivals in a serene environment and peaceful atmosphere.
“If peace is restored in the Southeast through the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the services of the Chief of Defense Staff and Security Chiefs to maintain peace will no longer be necessary in the region.
“It is disheartening to note that the people of the Southeast have suffered unjustly at the hands of Fulani herdsmen and criminals who have exploited the Biafra struggle to terrorize the region. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is shocked that the Chief of Defense Staff and Security Chiefs have not investigated or spoken out about the discovery of over 70 persons brutally murdered by herdsmen operating from the Lokpanta Cattle Market in Leru Umunneochi, Abia State.
“The sources of insecurity challenges in the Southeast are primarily the activities of Fulani herdsmen and criminals who use the name of the Biafra agitation as a cover. The Southeast region has lost over 42 trillion naira since the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu and the criminal invasions of Fulani herdsmen during the Buhari administration. Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on Tinubu to address the shortcomings of the past administration that have led to the current insecurity challenges in the Southeast.
“The release of Nnamdi Kanu will not only bring solace to the people but also restore confidence in the leadership’s commitment to the welfare and security of the Igbo people.”
