By Charles Igwe
On Wednesday in Abuja, Senators from Nigeria’s South-East Region met with Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Following a closed-door meeting with the AGF, the lawmakers expressed their concerns about the ongoing sit-at-home orders and killings in the South-East, which they said have crippled the region’s economy and social life. The senators, led by former Abia State Deputy Governor Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, emphasized that the perpetrators of these violent acts have stated that the unrest will continue until Kanu is released.
“These are the South-East Senate caucus. We are here to see the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation on an important matter to the people of the South-East concerning Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his incarceration,” Abaribe said.
He noted that the entire South-East region, including business leaders, clergy, and political figures, are deeply concerned about the security situation. “All the criminals and people going around causing mayhem in the South-East have all said that it is because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is being held. We know that this is not the truth. It’s just that we have gotten to the point where people are now hijacking a legitimate call for his release and turning it into something that has led to deaths and destruction of properties,” Abaribe explained.
The senators met with the Attorney-General to appeal for his intervention. “We came to appeal to him to let Mr. President know that all leaders of the South-East feel that the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will help in dousing all the tension on everything that is going on in the South-East,” Abaribe said, adding that the AGF has the power to prosecute and ensure that litigation does not continue unnecessarily, thereby alleviating the suffering of the people.
Abaribe also disclosed that he had met with Kanu on Monday at the Department of State Services headquarters, and Kanu agreed to abide by the terms of any conditional release granted to him.
Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 by the Federal Government and brought to Nigeria to face terrorism charges. Although he pleaded not guilty, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja denied him bail, citing his previous bail violation for which Senator Abaribe had been a surety.
