South East govs to meet Tinubu over detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s release

The South East Governors’ Forum has stated its commitment to visit President Bola Tinubu to seek the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

The Forum which comprised Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Alex Otti (Abia), Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Peter Mbah (Enugu), met Tuesday during a meeting held in Enugu State.

Chairman of the Forum, Uzodinma, who announced the resolution, also noted that the delegation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku, and the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, paid a solidarity visit to the Forum.

Uzodinma stated that about the security and economic summit held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on September 28, 2023, the forum had “agreed to implement the aspects of the report pertaining to security and economic integration and affirmed its desire to put actionable plans on the key issues agreed.”

He added, “The forum received the delegation of the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, and His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, Obi of Onitsha, who came on a solidarity visit to the forum.

“The forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss pressing issues concerning the south-east region.

“The forum also resolved to interface with the Federal Government to secure the release of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.”

The governor’s forum also “commiserated with the government and people of Abia State, Ebonyi State, Imo State, South East Nigeria, and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu’s family on the demise of His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.”

The IPOB leader has been on trial since 2015 when he was arrested over his secessionist push. He fled the country in 2017 after being granted bail but was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria in 2021.

Since then, he’s been in detention in the Department of State Services facility.

On Monday, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed Kanu’s suit against the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Department of State Services and its Director General, listed as defendants.

However, Kanu’s lawyer,  Aloy Ejimako, vowed that “we will appeal.”