The Nigeria Consultative Forum, NCF has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to wait till the expiration of the six months deadline given by the United Nations Human Rights Council on Arbitrary and illegal Detention before releasing the incarcerated leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention.
NCF said it is still pondering why the federal government is yet to release Kanu, asking, “is it that the Nigerian government wants to disobey the UN, a world umbrella body or is waiting for the last minute before obeying the UN demand?”
In a press statement issued yesterday in Onitsha, via SMS, signed by its president, Dede Uzor A, Uzor, the rights body expressed concern that the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to adhere strictly to the UN’s demand to date, barely three months after the demand was made and barely three months to the expiration of the deadline.
They, therefore, demanded that without further delay Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should be set free from DSS facilities in Abuja where he is presently being detained since according to them, “Nigeria is a signatory to all UN protocols, which compels them to obey the decision of UN and as such, the federal government should not hesitate in releasing the Biafran leader in compliance with UN decision”.
The rights group reminded the Federal Government of Nigeria that it had played big roles in the arbitration and resolution of crises in some African countries which again puts burden on it not to fail to abide by the directive of an international organisation like UN.
The group condemned the indifference and insensitivity of President Buhari in releasing Kanu in line with the UN resolution.
It would be recalled that a few months ago, some Igbo Elders led by Chief Mbazulike Amechi, a first Minister of Aviation paid a special visit to the President to appeal to him to release Kanu, in which he promised them to look into the problem with a view to releasing the Biafran agitator.
Unfortunately, these elders’ requests and advice were ignored by the President who allowed Kanu to languish in the DSS cell.
His release said the group, has also become imperative due to the insecurity in the country which has snowballed to Abuja.
Many of Kanu’s supporters have been expressing fears that terrorists with the active connivance of some elements in the Federal Government can shoot their way into the DSS facility to snuff life out of him, hence the urgent need to release him.
