The Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria has urged the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari not to heed calls for the unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
According to the group, Kanu and his members are responsible for the killing of many innocent persons in the south and there’s no guarantee the killings won’t resume if the IPOB leader is released.
The leader of the Arewa community, Musa Saidu who made the stand of the group known in a statement on Tuesday lamented that nobody is saying anything about those who have been killed.
Saidu who was reacting to the call by the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who had on Sunday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to release Kanu before the end of his tenure, said Kanu should have been called to order by the same people demanding his release.
“Where were they when Kanu was leading IPOB militants to kill innocent people in the South East?
“Not only in the South East, so many members of the Arewa community were attacked in Port Harcourt and nobody said anything, we have the figures, we have even the photos of those killed in cold blood.
“Now they’re clamouring for his release, what guarantee are they giving that the killings will not continue if he is released,” he said.
Buhari Can’t Release Kanu
Arguing further, Saidu said that the IPOB leader cannot be released by President Buhari because he was facing trial in the law Court. and only the courts have the power to decide his fate.
“Buhari didn’t order the detention of Nnamdi Kanu in the first place, he is being detained by the court where he is facing treason charges.
“So it will be absurd for Buhari to order his release,” he said.
Beg Those Who Have Been Affected
Rather than ask for the President to order Kanu’s release, the Arewa group through its leader advised Ohanaeze to visit the victims of IPOB attacks in the South East who were mainly settlers, and beg for their forgiveness.
”The Ndigbo should go round the entire South East and even South South, visit the victims of IPOB attacks and try to extract forgiveness from them so it can be used to convince the court to release Kanu.
“IPOB militants have continued to attack security agents in the South East, and even the police are not spared, what guarantee do we have that his release will not aggravate the killings, ” he said.
