Former President Muhammadu Buhari resisted calls to release Kanu, but with the advent of a new government, renewed appeals are being made for his release.
By Johnson Atoukudu:
On Friday, Asari Dokubo, a prominent figure in the Niger Delta, urged President Bola Tinubu not to free Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in 2021, is currently facing trial for terrorism charges.
In 2017, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted Kanu bail; however, he violated the conditions of his bail and subsequently fled the country. He was later apprehended again.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari resisted calls to release Kanu, but with the advent of a new government, renewed appeals are being made for his release. Nevertheless, following a meeting with President Tinubu, the Niger Delta leader expressed his view that Kanu should face the legal consequences of his actions.
“Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people,” he said at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. “He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out.
“On security, I want to clearly say that there are full-scale wars going on in different parts of this country. In the South East, the IPOB/ESN is waging a full-scale war against the government of this country and many local governments, many communities are deserted, schools are closed, and hospitals are closed.”
