Edwin Clark to President Tinubu: Drop All Charges Against Nnamdi Kanu

In a powerful open letter, Edwin Clark, the convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to drop all charges against Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Clark’s appeal, made public on Sunday, June 16, calls for the use of presidential executive powers to secure Kanu’s release. Despite not supporting IPOB’s activities under Kanu, Clark emphasizes the need for national unity and fairness in his letter.

“I have never supported the activities of IPOB under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, but today, Nigeria, a broken country where many groups and nativities have cried foul to the way Nigeria had been going since 1999 because of the military constitution imposed on Nigerians by the military,” Clark wrote.

He highlighted the nation’s myriad issues, including economic decline, failing democracy, collapsing education and health systems, rampant youth unemployment, and pervasive insecurity, particularly in the South-East. Clark warned that continued neglect could lead to dire consequences for the entire country.

“The unity of Nigeria can only be achieved and sustained if every part of the country is treated equally with the other parts, in all ramifications,” he stressed. “No one can play God over Nigeria, and no section owns this country more than any other section. We want Mr President to reassure Nigerians of our oneness.”

Clark argued that Kanu’s release would halt the Monday sit-at-home orders in the South-East and contribute to nationwide peace. He called for the reintegration of the Igbo community into the Nigerian mainstream, ensuring equal treatment across all regions.

“The release of Nnamdi Kanu by Mr. President on political grounds is overdue,” Clark asserted. He urged President Tinubu to instruct the Attorney General to enter a nolle prosequi, citing Kanu’s willingness to collaborate with the federal government to bring peace and stability to the South-East and the nation at large. Clark referenced similar precedents, such as the recent case of Miyetti Allah president Abdullahi Bello Bodejo of Nasarawa state, to support his plea.