Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been called for to be released by the House of Representatives’ South East Development Commission (SEDC) committee.
The proposal was made by committee chairman Chris Nkwonta at the panel’s first meeting, which was held at the national parliament on Wednesday.
According to him, “the committee and other well-meaning Nigerians appeal to the president to facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu as a step towards lasting peace and development in the region given the security concerns in the region.”
Read Also: Nigeria Customs Imposes 4% FOB Charges on Imports
President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the SEDC bill was praised by the committee chairman, who said that it will “drive meaningful development” in the area.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has been holding the IPOB leader since he was deported from Kenya in June 2021.
He is being prosecuted for terrorism.
The demand for Kanu’s release has grown, especially among southeast stakeholders.
In June 2024, Tinubu was requested to order Kanu’s release by fifty members of the House of Representatives.
Kanu’s release was urged by the Green Chamber’s minority caucus that same month.
South-East Governors’ Forum-affiliated governors decided to meet with Tinubu on July 2 in order to request the separatist leader’s release.
Senators from the geopolitical area met with Lateef Fagbemi, the federation’s attorney general and minister of justice, on July 3 to discuss the IPOB leader’s release.
