15 S’East Senators Meet AGF, Say Nnamdi Kanu’s Release Will Reduce Tension, Insecurity

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Southeast caucus of the Senate on Wednesday visited the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to negotiate for the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The caucus led by a former Abia State Deputy Governor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, is of the opinion that until Kanu is released from custody peace will continue to elude the region.

The senators spoke shortly after their closed-door meeting with the AGF in his office in Abuja.

Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, told Judiciary Correspondents that the economy and social life in the Southeast had suffered a lot due to the continued incarceration of the Biafra nation agitator.

He noted with grave concern that the peaceful demand of the detained IPOB leader have been hijacked by hoodlums and hardened criminals leading to wanton killings of innocent people, including security operatives.

Meanwhile, Abaribe disclosed that he had already met with Kanu at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja on Monday, adding that Kanu had agreed to abide by any conditional release.

He expressed optimism that once Kanu is released, the tension and insecurity engulfing the southeast region since 2021 when he was clamped into DSS custody would become event of the past.

The Senators therefore pleaded with the AGF to convey their message to President Tinubu and for the AGF to use his position to terminate all charges brought against the IPOB leader by the federal government.

Besides the senators, Abaribe said that virtually all political leaders, religious leaders and stakeholders had unanimously agreed that Kanu be released for peace to bounce back to the region.

It would be recalled that Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 by the federal government and brought to the country for trial on terrorism charges.

Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declined to admit him to bail on the grounds that he jumped the earlier bail granted him.

Recall that the court had in 2017 admitted Kanu to bail in the sum of N100m with three sureties in like sum.

Abaribe was among the three sureties who had guaranteed the bail.