IPOB warns South-East politicians against sabotaging moves to free Kanu

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Wednesday warned politicians in the South-East against sabotaging ongoing efforts to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The secessionist group in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful alleged that that some politicians visited the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to persuade him not to support the quest for Kanu’s release from detention.

The IPOB warned those sabotaging Kanu’s release to know that it was aware of their secret meetings and discussions against Kanu and threatened to make their names public if they fail to refrain from the action.

The statement read: “If they continue with their sabotage, their names will be made public soon. Also, some of the political jobbers in the South-East region working against the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should know that we are following the activities closely.

“The unscrupulous individuals hold secret meetings with South-East Governors to frustrate the clarion call of the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who incidentally is the only political prisoner in Nigeria currently.

“We warn those sabotaging the unconditional release of our leader to stop provoking IPOB. The saboteurs should know that nothing happens in the South East region without IPOB getting the intel ahead of time.

READ ALSO: IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, reveals plan to negotiate with Nigerian govt for his release

“Those Igbos involved in this dastardly act to frustrate the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should retrace their steps quickly. IPOB-ESN is not begging them to stop, but they should be ready for the consequences of their oppositional actions.

“The IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has not committed any crime known to law internationally or locally. He is being detained illegally for more than 3 years by the Nigerian government after he was kidnapped in Kenya and extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria in violation of international extradition laws.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s continuous detention is a gross violation of Appeal Court judgment and a slap on Ndigbo’s face as a race.”

“The continuous illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is discrimination against Ndigbo. The Nigerian government has dropped cases and charges against political prisoners from other ethnic groups but kept only Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their detention because he is an Igbo man. Does it not mean that Ndigbo mean nothing in Nigeria.

“The unscrupulous politicians from the South-East region sabotaging the release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu are not only working against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but also sabotaging Ndigbo as a whole,” the statement added.

Kanu is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and other related charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Leaders from the South-East, including federal lawmakers are currently pushing for Kanu’s release in a bid to restore normalcy in the South-East.

Governors from the five states in the region met on Tuesday in Enugu and resolved to meet with the Federal Government in the coming days to find a political solution to Kanu’s case.

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