The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on compassionate and medical grounds.
Iwuanyanwu made the plea in a statement on Thursday, stressing that Kanu’s deteriorating health condition should not be ignored. According to him, allowing the IPOB leader access to specialized medical care outside the confines of detention is necessary to preserve his life.
He explained that the Igbo socio-cultural organization had repeatedly maintained its opposition to violent agitations but insisted that Kanu’s right to adequate healthcare must be respected.
>We are not in support of violence, but Nnamdi Kanu remains our son and no father would watch his child suffer without intervention. We therefore plead with President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to demonstrate magnanimity by releasing him for medical treatment,” Iwuanyanwu said.
The Ohanaeze leader also noted that releasing Kanu could serve as a confidence-building measure to douse political tension in the South-East, which has witnessed waves of insecurity linked to his continued detention.
He urged the government to weigh the appeal not only from a humanitarian perspective but also as a step towards fostering national reconciliation and unity.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, facing charges bordering on treasonable felony. His legal team has consistently raised concerns about his health, with calls from both local and international rights groups for his release or improved access to medical care.
The Federal Government, however, has maintained that his trial must run its course, even as political and civil society groups intensify pressure for a negotiated solution.
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