By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
The Congress of Civil Society Group,( CCSG) Abia State Chapter has called on the Federal Government to release the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu with a view to stemming insecurity in the South East geo-political zone.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha on Monday, the Chairman of CCSG, Comrade Damian Ogudike alleged that the inability of the government at the centre to free Kanu even when court had ordered his release triggered off insecurity in Igbo land.
Ogudike described Kanu’s continued detention at the custody of the Department of Security Services (DSS) as a deliberate action by Nigerian government, recalling that Abuja Appeal court had discharged and acquitted him of all charges levelled against him.
“The world international body directed Nigerian government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu but they ignored them. So, the whole blame on what is happening in Nigeria precisely in the South East is directly caused by Nigerian government and nobody should blame the agitators causing violent"
It is clear that human rights working group adopted United Nations report on April 4, 2022 in her 93rd section summit and directed Nigerian government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu within 6 Months and compensate him but they still refused the directives"
“How can you disregard United Nations law, your own law and expect the agitators to fold their hands. It is not possible, they must find a means of fighting back in order to call the attention of Nigeria government to release their leader.
“I will like Nigerian government to listen to the voice of reasons especially one former retired Army who came to National television to talk on how to approach the issue of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He told Nigerian government to summon the agitators and release Nnamdi Kanu to douse the tension which has already engulfed entire South East but they kept listening to politicians who want to make money out of the crisis.
Comrade Ogudike also warned Nigerian government to stop from further arresting the agitators which he alleged they were planning, stressing that it would aggravate the insecurity in the land.
“I have listened to some of the agitators who have given Nigerian government ultimatum that if they fail to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu within the space of time, they would cripple every oil pipe within the region.
“Actually, we are not in support of the approach adopted by the agitators of being violent and killing people, but I want to tell you that there is an extent someone will be pushed to the wall, such a person has to react.
“The issue is that Nigerian security agencies should tell Nigerian government that the best option to quench this crises is through dialogue and they should stop wasting the lives of their security because I am not sure if security agencies would defeat these agitators”, Ogudike said.
The activist said that Nigeria soldiers are also fighting bandits in the North East, wondering if Nigeria should be one through shedding blood of her citizens?
“Can’t we seat down and discuss, renegotiate how to keep the country one if possible? Where it is not possible, lets Nigeria disintegrate and that’s all”, he concluded.