South East governors have been urged to lend their support to the quest for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Members of Igbo Elders Forum made the appeal yesterday during a peaceful protest at the Government House, Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Speaking for the members, Emeka Ezebuiro, called on the governor, Alex Otti, to galvanise the support of his colleagues in the zone to seek the release of the IPOB leader.
He described as unjust „the continued incarceration of the leader even after there have been calls from across the country for his release“.
Ezebuiro said: „Many people in the country have called for his release, but to no avail. He has been to court and won his case, yet he is still in custody.“
He said that Kanu’s release had become necessary to allow him to receive medical attention following his complaints of ill health.
„We dismiss entirely the suggestion by the authorities that he could be adequately attended to while in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.“
„If we have such a facility in this country, why are our political leaders going abroad on medical tourism. Why can‘t they use the faculty?
One of the forum’s members and a public affairs analyst, Chinedu Obilor, expressed worry that the incarceration had taken too long.
“We‘ve come to urge the governor to approach his colleagues in the zone to appeal to the federal government to release our son; that is why we‘re here,“ he said.
Responding, the secretary to the state government, Kenneth Kalu, assured them that their message would be delivered to the governor.
