The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused South East Governors of not doing enough to secure his release.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu who spoke Friday in Umuahia during a memorial in honour of their late parents, HRM Eze Israel, and Ugoeze Sally Kanu, said the Governors had not demonstrated genuine commitment towards his freedom.
He wondered why the Governors had not met with the condition given to them by Mr President, arguing that if truly they are sincerely committed to his release, they would have sought an audience with the President over his case.
He said: ” South East Governors are not doing enough to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It’s either they are complicit or something. The big question is: Why have they not met with Mr President on Nnamdi Kanu? The information available to us is that Mr President asked them to meet with him officially over the matter but up till now they haven’t done so.
“Are the Governors benefiting from the unrest in the South East or what? What are they afraid of? Free Nnamdi Kanu today and all this tension in the South East will fizzle out in 24 hours because we will now know those hiding under the guise of the agitation for his release to perpetrate crime in the region.”
On the indefinite adjournment of Kanu’s trial, the family said Justice Binta Nyako, no longer had jurisdiction to preside over Kanu’s trial having earlier recused herself from the matter.
Kanu’s family also wondered why Justice Nyako would choose to adjourn the matter indefinitely, asking what her interest was in the matter.
“Why is she trying to force herself in the case? Does she have interest in the matter? We have said it severally that she is biased. She has turned down every application to relocate Nnamdi Kanu to prison custody instead of the DSS cell where they have held him for years under severe conditions”.
The family, therefore, called on the international community to prevail on the Nigerian authorities to release the IPoB leader who, it insisted, committed no crime to be incarcerated.
Prince Emmanuel commended Biafran elders and all those who gathered in the family to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the demise of the parents.
He said his parents died as a result of the trauma they had following the September 14 , 2017 military invasion of their country home.
“We are humbled to see the crowd that gathered in our house to honour my late parents who died as a result of the shock they had when the soldiers raided our house in 2017. 28 people were killed in our house during that raid. The people have renamed today, February 14 , Saint Kanu’s Day to honour my late parents who were buried on February 14. We appreciate everyone for coming especially those from outside South East States. We are encouraged by their show of love”.
He demanded the unconstitutional release of Kanu who he said, meant well for everyone, saying “we demand my brother’s release. The issues he raised are germane. His matter is a case of dialogue and meaningful conversation”.
Speaking earlier, the leader of Elders in Biafra land, High Chief Agonsi Ebere, said they came to honour Kanu’s late parents who laid down their lives for Biafra’s freedom.
He urged the Federal Government to heed the growing pleas for Kanu’s release, saying his continued detention will not bring any progress to Nigeria.
Chief Ebere appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release Kanu to Biafra elders, adding that his release will restore peace to the South East.
Adding his voice, the Akwa Ibom Regional head of the group, Aniekan Ekanem, said that “the masses are behind Kanu because he is championing a good cause”.
He explained that contrary to misconception in some quarters, Biafra is not an Igbo agenda but affects the people of the Old Eastern region.
According to him, Akwa Ibom “which is known as Igbo nta”, shares a lot in common with Igbo.
” We answer Igbo names like Udoh, Onyemaechi, etc. We are all brothers and nothing will separate us”, he said. Some of the elders came from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and the five South Eastern states.
