Lawmakers in the National Assembly Southeast are putting plans in place for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
To make this a success, the lawmakers have set up a committee to work out a system of releasing Mr. Kanu from detention.
This was made known in a communique issued at the end of a closed-door meeting of the lawmakers on Wednesday.
The meeting took place at the residence of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, where the lawmakers decided to intervene in Mr. Kanu’s case.
The leader of the meeting, Mr. Ekweremadu, told journalists that they had decided to set up a committee that will interface with the federal government and its relevant agencies to find “a political solution” in exchange for Mr. Kanu’s freedom.
“Thus, we decided to set up a committee to constructively interface with relevant stakeholders, the federal government, and its relevant agencies towards finding a political solution. We will keep Ndigbo informed of developments in that regard.
“We appeal to our people not to allow anyone to destroy the South-east region. The post-war South-east was not built through government patronage, but largely by the sheer determination and sacrifices of our people, who refused to resign to fate or bow their heads in defeat,” part of the statement read.
The group expressed solidarity with residents in the South-east over alleged marginalization within Nigeria and also resolved to seek better ways to guarantee that Igbos thrive and actualize their potential in any part of Nigeria.
They, however, condemned the destruction of lives and livelihoods as well as the disruption of the ongoing examinations in some schools in the South-east under the guise of enforcing a sit-at-home order by the group.
Reviewing the sit-at-home order by IPOB, the lawmakers decried the economic losses and hardship the directive has caused the people. They worried that some criminal elements have taken advantage of the situation to unleash mayhem on the people.
They also accepted the decision by IPOB to call off its Monday sit-at-home order and appealed to residents to eschew violence and join hands with other patriotic citizens in the search for a federal system that guarantees for them a glorious future.
Present at the meeting was the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senators Uche Ekwenife, Ifeanyi Ubah, Chukwuka Utazi, and Theodore Orji, Deputy Minority leader.
Others are Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Tobi Okechukwu, House of Representatives spokesman, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Obinna Chidioka, Chinedu Ogar, and Igariwe Iduma.
Mr. Kanu was rearrested in June by Interpol and handed over to Nigerian authorities after jumping bail in 2017 and fleeing abroad. His country home had earlier been raided by Nigerian soldiers who had sought to arrest him.
Ada Peter
