RAYMOND OZOJI reports
The Senator representing Anambra-Central senatorial district at the 10th National Assembly, Chief Victor Umeh (Ohamadike) has charged the new leadership of Ohaneze-Ndigbo World Wide to fight for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biara (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from prolonged incarceration to help resolve security issues in the Southeast.
Umeh who spoke to HEADLINE NEWS at the Old Government House Enugu shortly after the election of the new executives of Ohaneze-Ndigbo World Wide led by Sen. John Azuta Mbata, said Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the only person still in detention through a freedom struggle for his people.
Umeh said he expected that the IPOB leader would be granted unconditional release in the new year but such didn't come even though the Southeast senators have been working hard for his release. He said that the Southeast senators have come together to meet with the Attorney General of the federation to request for his release.
Umeh said the Attorney General promised them that he will speak to the President about it but all to no avail. He further disclosed that himself and Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe have met with the National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu behind closed doors for two hours discussing and pushing for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of which Mallam Nuhu Ribadu also promised that the IPOB leader would be released but nothing has happened ever since.
He said people who had similar issues with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria have all been released from detention through court processes; that there were people charged with treasonable felonies and their charges have all been withdrawn and they have been set free, stressing that Nnamdi Kanu's continued detention and purported trial makes him a prisoner of conscience.
Senator Umeh therefore urged the apex Igbo organization to fight for Nnamdi Kanu's release; that they should hit the ground running because the governors, senators and other stakeholders in the Southeast are ready to stand by them until Nnamdi Kanu is released from detention.
He said they wouldn't want to play politics with his predicament but the truth of the matter remains that Nnamdi Kanu's release from detention would help solve security breaches in the Southeast region of Nigeria.
He said just as he thought that Imo state was becoming calm, news filtered that about 18 people were killed recently in the state by unknown gunmen not to mention the Killings and Kidnappings in Anambra State, emphasizing that Ndigbo are calling on the government of the federation particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for peace to return to the Southeast region because Ndigbo, according to him, are the ones feeling the pains of his continued detention.
Umeh was however very optimistic that the security situation in the Southeast will improve a great deal if Nnamdi Kanu is released from detention because it will enable the people to separate the weaths from the chaff as all the criminals killing and abducting people and hinging their actions on the non-release of Nnamdi Kanu would be waved away because they would now know who is for the Igbos and against Igbos.
He said that the new leadership of Ohaneze-Ndigbo World Wide will do a lot of work in leading the struggle for the freedom of Nnamdi Kanu from prolonged incarceration because their major charge is to fight for the well-being of Igbos all over the world and they can't play Ostrich to that all-important assignment.
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