Ndigbo Unity Forum ( NUF), has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to jettison his latest hard stance on the Leader of Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and grant him unconditional release.
In a statement in Onitsha, Anambra State, the Igbo group expressed sadness over President Buhari’s comment that Kanu’s fate would be decided by the court and not through political solution.
President Buhari during an interview with the Channels Television had bluntly said that the IPOB leader would face his charges at the law court.
Kanu, who was kidnapped from Kenya has been detained in DSS facilities for months now which has forced IPOB members to declare Sit-at-home intermittently in the South East Region especially on Mondays and anytime he is attending court session.
Consequently, some Igbo leaders led by First Republic Aviation Minister, Mbazulike Amechi, paid a visit to the president appealing to him to grant Kanu unconditional release.
The president who in his reaction said the request was a difficult one, however remarked that he would look into it.
But when the question was thrown to him during the Channel Television interview, President Buhari said Kanu’s fate would be determined by court.
The Forum in the statement signed by Dede Uzor A, Uzor, however said that the unguarded response by Buhari was an insult to Ndigbo and their leaders.
They warned that non-release of Kanu would worsen the security and economic situations in the South East and South-South regions.
The group appealed to the president to in the spirit of the new year have a change of heart and release the Biafran leader unconditionally.
They said his release would not only serve as a new year gift to Ndigbo but bring lasting peace to the region that has been shattered by insecurity.
The group warned that further incarceration of the IPOB leader will worsen the economy of the regions which has been grossly affected as a result of ongoing fragile security in the regions due to continued detention of Kanu.
They urged the President to as a father of the nation grant Kanu unconditional release.
Meanwhile, the group has warned that on no account should the federal government contemplate deploying the recently acquired Tocuno War Plane from United States of America (USA) to the South East and South-South regions of the country.
Ndigbo group called on the government of USA to closely monitor the Federal Government of NIgeria on how it deploys the sophisticated war aircraft to avoid annihilation of the citizens of the regions and trampling on their fundamental rights.
