Ahead of Thursday, October 21 hearing of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained Indigenous Pople of Biafra (IPOB) leader, South-East traditional rulers have demanded his release by the Federal Government.
The monarchs, who made the demand under their umbrella body of South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to release Kanu from detention into the hands of the Igbo traditional and religious leaders.
The royal fathers also expressed worry over the escalation of crisis in the South-East with the attendant hardship on the people.
They lamented that they “have watched with utter dismay and sadness, the rapid deterioration of the affairs of Igbo land resulting in gruesome killings, destruction of properties, a general atmosphere of fear and a progressive militarisation of our homeland”.
Some gunmen had on Tuesday, killed about five traditional rulers, who gathered for a meeting in Imo State.
Besides the five South-East States, the monarchs said “in other Igbo speaking areas, there is a distinct feeling of disaffection, frustration and distrust, all of which are alien to our culture and tradition as a people”.
They called on President Buhari to show sagacity, pragmatism, statesmanship and fatherliness by de-proscribing the IPOB as a terrorist organisation.
In a 15-paragraph statement signed by Eze Joseph N. Nwabeke, the Chairman, Abia State Traditional Rulers Council; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council; Igwe L.O.C. Agubuzu, the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and Eze Dr E.C. Okeke, the Chairman Imo State Traditional Rulers Council, they also called on President Buhari to de-escalate the military presence in the South-East zone.
While engaging Buhari, the monarchs also urged “all stakeholders in the entire cross-section of Alaigbo to sheath their swords and “let us rally together for mutual forgiveness and healing so as to reset our strategy for engaging meaningfully with our fellow citizens in other parts of the country”.
“Cutting our nose to spite our face does not help our present situation.
“It is senseless to destroy our homeland or be accessory to its destruction in order for us to prove our marginalisation”, the traditional ruler advised.
The royal fathers noted that the present challenges in Alaigbo and the entire nation was not insurmountable if genuinely addressed with honesty, mutual respect and full recognition that lasting peace, progress d would come from dialogue, not through arm conflict and a general atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
They, therefore, urged President Buhari “to show sagacity, pragmatism, statesmanship and release Nnamdi Kanu into the hands of Igbo tradition and religious leaders”.
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