...say his release 'll strengthen hope in one Nigeria, restore peace to S'East
Youths of Ibeku ancient kingdom in Umuahia, Abia State, kinsmen of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have said that Kanu, like the late South African Leader, Nelson Mandela, "stands for truth, equity and justice".
The youths in a letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, regretted that Kanu's agitation for equity and fairness for all, was misconstrued by the previous administration which decided to cramp him into detention instead of addressing the fundamental issues he was raising.
Identifying his continued detention despite previous court orders for his unconditional release, as the major cause of tension and insecurity in the South East, the youths strongly urged the President to consider the growing appeals from across Nigeria for his release.
Earlier in a communique after an emergency meeting Tuesday evening at their national secretariat, Isieke Ibeku, the youths argued that Kanu was not a terrorist but only worried by the perennial injustice against his people and was crying for equity.
The communique signed by their National President, Martins Chiedozie Nwosu; and Secretary, Chibuzor Onwukamuche, respectively, urged Tinubu to free Kanu, just as the Yoruba nation promoter, Sunday Igboho; and social crusader, Omoyele Sowore, also charged for treason; had been freed.
It read in part:"Our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu only stood for truth, equity and justice for the Igbo tribe and the Eastern part of Nigeria, just like Nelson Mandela of South Africa. Hence, his incarceration at the Department of State Services, DSS, has become unbearable to us his kinsmen and brothers; knowing full well the catastrophe, instability and insecurity that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's detention has brought to the Eastern part of Nigeria."
Warning politicians against any attempt to politicise the ordeals of Kanu, Ibeku youths appreciated all those genuinely committed to his freedom.
They particularly urged the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to caution ex-Presidential Aide, Reno Omokir, against making unguarded utterances and provocative comments on Kanu.
"We urge politicians not to politicize the detention of our dear brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and to objectively work towards his unconditional release.
"We implore Ohaneze Ndigbo to advise Reno Omokiri to always sensor his utterances on the issues concerning the release of our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu".
In a separate letter to the President dated July 1, the youths wrote, "We the members of Ibeku Youths Association- a Socio Cultural Association of Youthful Natives of Ibeku Ancient Kingdom- the home of Major General J.T.U Aguiyi- Ironsi, GCFR, humbly wish to use this medium to express our heart brokenness and weariness over the arbitrary and continued detention of our dear brother- Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite court's ruling that he be released.
"We hold this strong opinion that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu meant well for the Eastern part of Nigeria, Southern part of Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole; he took up the responsibility to agitate for equity and justice, and inclusion of the Easterners and Southerners in the affairs of Nigeria, in the guise of agitation for Biafra.
"The then Government of Nigeria failed to address the root cause of the agitation, and misconstrued the essence of the agitation, and hastily proscribed the peaceful and non-violent group led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained him, killed and maimed, majorly, the Igbo youths of Eastern Nigeria.
"The whole world witnessed the genocidal and reprisal killing of the youths and our brothers of the Eastern part of Nigeria in 2017 when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's home town was besiege by security agents who killed hundreds of our brothers, Igbo youths, and Eastern youths who came to felicitate with him on his release on bail by the then Government of Nigeria.
"This mayhem and the pursuit to exterminate his life by the then Government of Nigeria caused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to flee Nigeria for his life.
"We are very much aware of the controversies surrounding his re-arrest by the then Government of Nigeria, but, we wish to use this medium to beacon on you and plead with you, His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Father of all Nigerians, to graciously effect the release of our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, because his continuous detention and incarceration has become a burden on our conscience and an unbearable burden in deed;
"knowing full well the instability, insecurity and economic hardship his detention has occasioned the people of the Eastern part of Nigeria.
" We do not underplay the efforts of your Government to peacefully address worsening hostilities in our country, but we believe that one of the best ways to bring to an end the issues of instability, insecurity and economic hardship in Eastern Nigeria, and to bring to an end Igbo marginalization in Nigeria is to release our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
"We, hoping for your clemency, wish to remind you, our dear President, that Messrs Sowore, and Igboho who were also charged with similar offences have all been released and discharged of the charges by the Federation Government of Nigeria.
"Hence, we pray you, His Excellency, to extend this same gesture to our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to strengthen our hope in the verse of our National Anthem that says "... though tribe and tongue may defer, in brotherhood we stand"; and most especially, to restore peace in the Eastern part of Nigeria, and strengthen our hope in one Nigeria."
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Recall that Kanu, has been in a solitary confinement at the Abuja headquarters of the DSS since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June,2021.
Despite court judgement ordering his immediate and unconditional release, the federal government has refused to free him.
There has been growing pressure on the Tinubu administration to release the IPOB Leader, as many believe that his release remains the only panacea to the growing tension and insecurity in the South East.
Recently, 50 members of the House of Representatives cutting across geopolitical zones and political divides, also wrote to Tinubu, urging him to release Kanu.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, met with South East Governors and traditional rulers including former Common Wealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyoku, in Enugu on Tuesday, where they agreed to lead a powerful delegation to Tinubu to further seek Kanu's release.
Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Obi Aguocha, over the weekend, met with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, to seek his support for Kanu's release.
