The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has once again called for the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing his continued incarceration as a source of deep concern among the Igbo people.
Kanu, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment last year over charges brought against him by the Federal Government, is currently serving his term at a correctional facility in Sokoto.
Speaking at the Imeobi/General Assembly meeting held at the organisation’s secretariat in Enugu, the President-General of Ohanaeze, John Azuta-Mbata, said the situation remained painful for Ndigbo.
He stressed that the call for Kanu’s release reflects a collective position the group adopted earlier at its Enugu meeting.
Azuta-Mbata maintained that Kanu’s imprisonment was widely unpopular in the region, adding that he had made it clear to the Federal Government that the continued detention symbolically affects the entire Igbo nation.
He urged the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to consider Kanu’s release, describing it as a minimal demand of the Igbo people.
He also cautioned Igbo leaders against misrepresenting the prevailing sentiment in the region.
In a related development, Ohanaeze expressed concern over a recent protest in South Africa linked to the conferment of a kingship title on an Igbo individual.
In response, the organization announced an immediate ban on the use of the title “Ezeigbo” (King) outside Igboland.
Azuta-Mbata stated that any violation of the directive would attract sanctions, noting that the decision was taken after a briefing by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, on the implications of the controversy for Igbo communities in the diaspora.
The organisation also confirmed the adoption of a new constitution to guide its operations moving forward.
(The Guardian)
