The Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s pitch for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
This was said in a statement made on Tuesday in Abuja by Alhaji Musa Saidu, the Community’s leader.
On Sunday, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urged Buhari to free Kanu before his term as president came to a conclusion.
The call, according to Saidu, was wrong.
“Where were they when Kanu was leading IPOB militants to kill innocent people in the South East.
“Not only in the South East, so many members of the Arewa community were attacked in Port Harcourt and nobody said anything, we have the figures, we have even the photos of those killed in cold blood.
“Now they’re clamouring for his release, what guarantee are they giving that the killings will not continue if he is released,” he said.
Saidu said that the IPOB leader cannot be released by presidential order because he was facing trial in the law Court.
“Buhari didn’t order the detention of Nnamdi Kanu in the first place, he is being detained by the court where he is facing treason charges.
“So it will be absurd for Buhari to order for his release,” he said.
In order to find answers to the issue, Saidu encouraged Ohanaeze to pay a visit to the South East victims of IPOB attacks, who were primarily settlers.
” The Ndigbo should go round the entire South East and even South South, visit the victims of IPOB attacks and try to extract forgiveness from them so it can be use to convince the court to release Kanu,” he said.
Saidu said also said that releasing Kanu would further aggravate the killings in the South East.
“IPOB militants have continued to attack security agents in the South East, even the police are not spared, what guarantee do we have that his release will not aggravate the killings, ” he said.
Iwuanyanwu had said Kanu should be released to allow him to tend to his deteriorating health.
Ref: (NAN)
