Youth Leader, Igbo Speaking Communities in Lagos, Chief Dr. Okechukwu Uzuegbu

South East youths under the aegis of Igbo Speaking Communities in Lagos State have urged President Bola Tinubu to facilitate the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as part of measures to curb the worsening insecurity and restore peace and tranquillity in the South East, the once most peaceful region in the country.

Recall that Nnamdi Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Security DSS for several years despite several courts’ rulings that he should be released on bail.

Youth leader of the group, Chief Dr. Okechukwu Uzuegbu, who spoke in an interview shortly after proceedings at the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos presided over by Justice Yetunde Adesanya where the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos, Frederick Nkemdilim Nwajagu is standing trial over alleged terrorism acts, noted that the continued detention of the IPOB leader does not make for peace in the South East region.

According to him, in addition to the weakening of the South East economy occasioned by the Monday sit-at-home declared by the followers of the detained leader of IPOB, the worsening state of insecurity in the region has left a bitter pill in the mouths of residents of the region and the entire country as a whole.

He noted that though some criminally minded elements have hijacked some of the subtle agitations by members of the IPOB to unleash mayhem on the region, the group is only trying to draw attention towards addressing some of the challenges bedevilling the region and also a reminder for the release of their detained leader.

“I am aware that several courts of competent jurisdiction have ruled that he should be released and the Federal Government through the DSS is still keeping him in detention, which is not right, especially given that Nigeria is currently practising democracy where the rule of law should prevail always not a military regime so why should the court rulings not be obeyed?

“The insecurity, especially the IPOB agitations in the region would be a thing of the past if President Tinubu listens to the voice of the courts and the people to release Nnamdi Kanu. I also believe that some of these agitations by the IPOB members are subtle protests against the continued detention of their leader just to draw attention to the injustice and marginalisation being meted out to him.

“I am convinced that Nnamdi Kanu has what it takes in terms of capacity to give direction and directives to his followers, which would help in restoring peace to the South East and also save its economy from total collapse, having been balkanised over the years due to insecurity and the sit-at-home directive, which shuts down the economy of a whole region every Monday, which should no longer be taken lightly.

“I also think that the sit-at home being declared by the IPOB is a way of putting the Igbo leaders comprising governors, traditional rulers, House of Representatives members, Senators and all other sons and daughters of the South East on their toes so that all hands would be on deck towards addressing the challenges in the region as well as the release of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu” the youth leader also said.

On the proposed ruling on the bail application by the counsel to the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos, Frederick Nkemdilim Nwajagu, who is facing a seven –count charge of alleged terrorism, the youth leader noted that it would be nice if he is granted bail, adding that measures are being put in place to meet the bail conditions.

Meanwhile, Spokesman for the Ndi Ndu Ndigbo, Mr. Michael Onuh, who also spoke on the terrorism charge brought against the Eze Ndigbo, noted that he does not see what constitutes terrorism in the statement made by the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, arguing that many people have said worse things in the country and nothing happened to them.

He however noted that it is left for the court to determine, stressing that he has absolute confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man to do justice to the case.

Recall that Nwajagu was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services DSS over an alleged threat to invite members of IPOB to Lagos to secure property of Igbo people in the state, which were being destroyed by hoodlums without much intervention from security agencies.