“South East Governors Not Doing Enough to Secure Nnamdi Kanu’s Release” — Family

The family of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused South East Governors of not doing enough to secure his release. Speaking in Umuahia during a memorial event for their late parents, HRM Eze Israel and Ugoeze Sally Kanu, Prince Emmanuel Kanu expressed disappointment over the lack of concrete action from the governors.

Prince Emmanuel questioned why the governors had not met the conditions allegedly set by President Bola Tinubu for Kanu’s release. He argued that if they were genuinely committed, they would have sought an audience with the President regarding the case.

“South East Governors are not doing enough to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It’s either they are complicit or something else is at play. Why have they not met with Mr. President? The information available to us suggests that Mr. President asked them to meet him officially on the matter, yet they have failed to do so,” he said.

He further suggested that some politicians might be benefiting from the unrest in the region, adding that Kanu’s release would restore peace. “Free Nnamdi Kanu today, and the tension in the South East will disappear in 24 hours. Then we will see those who are truly responsible for criminal activities in the region,” he asserted.

The family also criticized Justice Binta Nyako for indefinitely adjourning Kanu’s trial, arguing that she no longer had jurisdiction over the case, having previously recused herself. They accused her of bias and questioned why she refused to relocate Kanu to a prison facility instead of keeping him in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Appealing to the international community, Kanu’s family called for intervention, insisting that he had committed no crime warranting incarceration. They also expressed appreciation for the Biafran elders and supporters who gathered to commemorate the fifth anniversary of their parents’ passing, attributing their deaths to the trauma of the September 14, 2017, military raid on their home, during which 28 people were killed.

Elders from Biafra land, led by High Chief Agonsi Ebere, called on the Federal Government to heed the growing calls for Kanu’s release, stating that continued detention would not benefit Nigeria. Chief Ebere urged President Tinubu to release Kanu into the custody of Biafra elders, emphasizing that doing so would help restore stability in the South East.

Akwa Ibom regional head of the group, Aniekan Ekanem, also voiced support for Kanu, describing him as a leader championing a just cause. He dismissed claims that Biafra was solely an Igbo agenda, noting that the movement includes people from the Old Eastern Region.

Ekanem highlighted shared cultural ties between Akwa Ibom and the Igbo people, stating, “We answer Igbo names like Udoh, Onyemaechi, etc. We are all brothers, and nothing will separate us.” The event was attended by elders from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and the five South Eastern states.