Nnamdi Kanu
By Victory Oghene
The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has agreed to comply with the conditions set by President Bola Tinubu’s government for his release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Abaribe disclosed this on Wednesday after the meeting between the South-East Senators and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on Kanu’s release.
About 15 federal lawmakers led by Senator Abaribe participated in the closed-door meeting.
Senator Abaribe, speaking on behalf of his colleagues after the meeting, expressed optimism that the Attorney-General would influence the Federal Government to consider releasing Kanu.
He emphasised that Kanu’s prolonged detention was contributing to heightened insecurity and unrest in the South-East region.
Vanguard reports that Senator Abaribe disclosed that he had personally met with Kanu at the DSS headquarters, where Kanu expressed readiness to comply with any conditions set by the government for his release.
The senators’ meeting with the Attorney-General followed the South-East governors’ decision to appeal directly to President Tinubu for Kanu’s freedom.
Earlier, a group of 50 members from the House of Representatives had urged President Tinubu to instruct the Attorney-General to use Section 174 of the Constitution to terminate the terrorism-related charges against Kanu in court.
Nnamdi Kanu’s legal saga began with his initial arrest in Lagos in October 2015, subsequent bail in April 2017, and eventual escape from the country amid his trial. He was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and has since remained in custody of the DSS.
Despite the Court of Appeal’s order for his release in October 2022, the Supreme Court later overturned this decision in December 2023, allowing the Federal Government to proceed with the trial on seven remaining charges.
