The legal team representing Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has urged President Bola Tinubu to engage in a private meeting with Kanu to address the ongoing agitation in the South-East region. In a statement signed by the team’s head, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, the lawyers emphasized the need for the president to show statesmanship by taking proactive steps to resolve the situation.
The legal team argued that Kanu’s continued detention without addressing the root causes of the agitation could lead to further instability in the region.
They suggested that President Tinubu investigate the causes of the unrest and collaborate with Kanu to find a solution.
Drawing parallels between Kanu and President Tinubu, the legal team described both men as “democrats and freedom fighters” and pointed to Tinubu’s role during the struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election as evidence of his ability to understand Kanu’s motivations.
The lawyers also made a case for Kanu’s release, noting that he had previously shown a commitment to improving Nigeria by assisting prisoners from various tribes, including those from the North, during his detention at Kuje Correctional Centre.
According to the legal team, Kanu has a “stunning intellectual mind” and is passionate about fighting corruption and improving Nigeria.
The statement also referenced the failed attempts by several prominent Igbo leaders, such as Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Mbazuluike Amaechi, to secure Kanu’s release under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The lawyers emphasized that the new government, which has shown leniency towards other agitators like Omoyele Sowore and Sunday Igboho, should reconsider Kanu’s case.
The legal team believes that Kanu’s release would help quell the insecurity in the South-East, allowing military forces deployed there to be redeployed to combat terrorists and bandits in other parts of the country, thereby addressing the growing food insecurity caused by unrest in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions
