Posted on: 06:16 Fri, 18 Dec 2015



Mr Israel Kanu, the father of the pro-
Biafra activist, Nnamdi Kanu, has thanked
President Muhammadu Buhari and other
Nigerians over the release of his son.

The elder Kanu is the traditional ruler of
Afara Ukwu Ibeku Autonomous
Community, Umuahia.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) on Thursday in Umuahia that he
was grateful to “well-meaning Nigerians
for their prayers and support’’ during
Nnamdi’s incarceration.

He added that he was amazed by the
goodwill and show of solidarity by
Nigerians, especially the pro-Biafra
groups, which, he said, “stood by us for
the period my son was detained.’’

He said that he was particularly grateful
to God that the court acquitted his son
of all the charges, including treasonable
felony, brought against him.

“My family and the entire people of Afara
Ukwu are happy over the release of our
son and we shall continue to thank God
and Nigerians for this happy event,’’ Kanu
said.

The traditional ruler commended the
judiciary for proving to be the hope of
the common man, saying, “the judiciary
applied wisdom in discharging and
acquitting my son.’

He called on the pro-Biafra groups to go
about their agitation peacefully and
without confrontation to the government.

In a related development, Ohanaeze
Youth Council (OYC) also hailed the
president ‘for listening to the pleas of
Ndigbo and progressive Nigerians.’

In a statement made available to NAN,
OYC said that Kanu’s release had doused
the tension generated by his detention,
adding that the development had spared
Nigeria of another security challenge.

The statement was signed by the
National President and Secretary of the
organisation, Okechukwu Isiguzoro and
Nnabuike Okwu respectively.

It said that Kanu’s release would go a
long way to restore the confidence of
Ndigbo in Buhari’s Administration.

“Having released Kanu, the Federal
Government should go further and
address all the other grievances of the
pro-Biafra agitators,’’ the statement said.
According to OYC, the agitators were
only protesting against the
marginalisation and injustices being
meted against Ndigbo.

It cited the poor state of federal roads in
the South- East, abandonment of the
Enugu coal mine for over 43 years, non-
inclusion of Abia and Imo youths in the
Niger Delta Amnesty deal, among others
as instances of marginalization of
Ndigbo.

On his part, the Secretary of the
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mr
Uchenna Madu, described the release of
its leader as ‘triumph over injustice,
suppression, oppression and subjugation
of IPOB.’

NAN reports that the IPOB leader was
arrested and detained for allegedly
running Radio Biafra, an offence
considered treasonable. (NAN)