US Military Veterans Want S’East Govs to Meet Tinubu for Kanu’s Release

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

A United States-based group, the American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has called on the governors of the five South-east states to expedite action in finding a political solution to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

AVID made the call in an open letter addressed to Ndigbo concerning the travails of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in detention for over three years.

The governors of the states of the South-east zone under the aegis of the South East Governors Forum(SEGF) had at their meeting in July at Enugu resolved to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to find a political solution to Kanu’s continued detention.

But five months down the line, the SEGF has continued to foot drag in fulfilling its promise, thereby pushing back Kanu’s freedom.

In the letter signed by AVID President, Dr. Sylvester Onyia and the Secretary, Dr. Godson Obiagwu, the group which has been at the vanguard of demanding justice for Kanu since his infamous rendition in June 20, 2021, intensified its clarion calls.

The military veterans stated that a political solution remains the only way of ending Kanu’s ordeal as “it has become crystal clear that the courts are incapable of dispensing justice or upholding the rule of law in this matter.

“It is time for all Ndigbo worldwide, individually and collectively, to strongly and publicly demand the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“In particular, we call on all South-east leaders in elective positions at home and in

Abuja, especially the five South-east governors, to fulfill their several public promises and commitments to approach President Tinubu to seek the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“For this reason, we earnestly call on the South-east Governors Forum (SEGF) to, without further delay, meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this matter,” AVID said.

AVID described Kanu’s continued detention “as a subterfuge for padding security votes for South-east which they directly benefit from.”

“We make bold to say that it is unconscionable for any true security chief driven by patriotism and respect for sanctity of human life to block the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, knowing fully well that a free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is critical to ending the insecurity in Southeast, once and for all.”

The veterans proposed an alternative should the SEGF “prove unwilling” to meet Tinubu, saying that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide prominent Igbo traditional rulers and religious leaders should take the lead.

AVID further proposed that Governor Alex Otti “should rise to the occasion and go lone-wolf in meeting with President Tinubu with only one request: release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before 25th December 2024.”

“We are suggesting this as the next best option because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a native of Abia and thus deserving of all the protections and comfort he can get from his Governor,” the group said.