The youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), has called on President Bola Tinubu to honour an alleged pre-2023 agreement to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu has been in solitary confinement at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021.
The OYC, in a statement issued on Thursday by its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, urged Tinubu to ignore recent comments credited to Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, where he was quoted as saying that he doubted if insecurity in the South-East would end even if Kanu is released
The Ohanaeze youths stated that Tinubu should disregard Soludo’s remarks as they were not a true reflection of the truth and general belief of Ndigbo on the security situation in the region.
Reacting to a recent statement by one of Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who disclosed that the Kanu family had an agreement with Tinubu’s son, Seyi, who promised that his father would release the IPOB leader if he wins the 2023 presidential election, the OYC called on the President to honour the agreement for the sake of fairness.
The group also urged Seyi to prevail on his father to do the honourable thing by keeping his word on releasing Kanu as that would bring enduring peace to the South-East.“
“We find it curious that any Igbo man, let alone a sitting governor will throw spanners into the pressing demand for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the OYC.ontinuing, the youths said.
“Governor Soludo has for long demonstrated a lack of capacity to curb insecurity in Anambra State and finds easy blame on anyone else except himself.
“This is why he found it so convenient to play down the role Nnamdi Kanu’s release will play towards stabilizing the South-East.
“We know that Mr President is a man of honour; he should not allow the likes of Soludo to mislead him.
“He should do Ndigbo a great favour by ordering the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. This will no doubt de-escalate tension in the South-East region.”
