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The leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on President Bola Tinubu to free the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Clark said Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing treason charges and has been in detention since 2021should be released by the Federal Government.
The Ijaw leader made the appeal in a fresh letter to the President on Sunday.
Clark said: “The release of Nnamdi Kanu by Mr President on political grounds is overdue. Mr. President should direct the Attorney General to enter a nolle prosequi to free Nnamdi Kanu who has shown his intention to work with the Federal Government to bring peace and stability in the South-East and to Nigerians as a whole.
"It has been recently done in similar cases of treasonable felony as in the case of Miyetti Allah president, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo of Nasarawa state."
He said the move would intensify reconciliation of Nigeria and end the sit-at-home order and killings in the South-East.
He said IPOB had “fashioned a place for itself” in the hearts and minds of young people, because of the short-changing of Igbos from the southeast over the years, while urging the use of the “carrot and stick approach”, rather than military force, in addressing the agitations in the region.
Clark rationalised: “Apart from demanding the restructuring of Nigeria, the political freedom of Nnamdi Kanu will no doubt complete the reconciliation of Nigeria and bring an end to the needless Monday sit-at-home order, which has disturbed businesses and civil activities in the South-East.
"I advise, therefore, that rather than the use of military force which has already proved counter-productive, they should be carefully treated with the ‘carrot and stick approach’, in the interest of the peace, stability, and progress of Nigeria as a whole and the South-East zone in particular.
“Let me re-emphasise the importance and urgency of reintegrating the Igbos into the mainstream of Nigeria where their region will be equal with other regions in all ramifications, meaning that they should be fully and unconditionally united or be admitted into the Union of Nigeria as it was before the civil war
“The release of Nnamdi Kanu by Mr President on political grounds is overdue. Mr. President should direct the Attorney General to enter a nolle prosequi to free Nnamdi Kanu who has shown his intention to work with the Federal Government to bring peace and stability in the South-East and to Nigerians as a whole."Anything short of that is not in the interest of a united Nigeria and there may be no end to the insecurity in Nigeria.”
