President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to exercise his prerogative of mercy to free the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other Igbo youths who are in detention across the country.
Obiozor, who made the appeal at an event organised in his honour by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, in Owerri, on Saturday, said the Federal and State governments should engage “restive” Igbo youths in a dialogue to resolve the crisis in the South East peacefully.
Kanu is standing trial on an amended 15-count charge bordering on treasonable felony. However, last Friday, the court struck out eight of the 15-count charges.
“We highly recommend that the federal as well as state governments engage the restive Igbo youths in some form of dialogue towards the peaceful resolution of the present crisis,” the Ohanaeze president-general said.
“In this context, we equally appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to exercise his prerogative of mercy for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other Igbo youths in detention in various places.”
Obiozor asked IPOB to embrace peace and end its sit-at-home order, adding that the people in the south-east region are suffering as a result of it.
“We equally urge them to lift the sit-at-home order to restore normalcy in the south-east.
“The brunt of sit at home order is borne by the millions of Ndigbo families, who depend on their daily income for survival. Sit-at-home is not a favour to Ndigbo but condemnation of these countless millions of daily income earners to untold hardship,” he said.
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