The Northern Elders Forum has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against the southeast leaders’ request for the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Buhari had last week promised to consider the request for the release of Nnamdi Kanu after meeting with a group of leaders from the southeast under the aegis of Highly Respected Igbo Greats.
A First Republic parliamentarian and Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, led the group’s visit to the president. The president was quoted to have told the delegation led by the 93-year-old statesman: “You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on me as leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious. “In the last six years, since I became President, nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the judiciary. God has spared you, and given you a clear head at this age, with a very sharp memory. A lot of people half your age are confused already. But the demand you made is heavy. I will consider it.”
However, NEF’s Director of Public Affairs, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a social media post over the weekend, said it would amount to an affront on the rule of law for Buhari to consider the request to release Kanu who is facing trial on treason and terrorism-related charges. This is coming just as the leadership of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) also warned against releasing Kanu.
In his post, Baba-Ahmed said, “President Buhari should have emphasised his obligation to respect the rule of law and allow the continuation of the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. There is nothing to ‘consider’ in the request of the leaders from the SE (South-East). The judicial process must not be subverted. “President Buhari has no reason to release Nnamdi Kanu instead of court. The pledge he made of ‘check’ plea (sic) to be released without trial will not do any good or [be] beneficial to the country.”
Also, the National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, warned that more Kanus would emerge to further complicate the insecurity situation in the country if the request to free him was granted. Shettima, reacting to Buhari’s remark that he would, however, consider the IPOB leader’s release, told an online media, Daily Post, that allowing Kanu to go unpunished would be harmful to Nigeria and the Federal Government.
According to Shettima: “There is the possibility of undermining the consequences of what this man (Nnamdi Kanu) did to the country, and by implication, if he is allowed to go unpunished, it would be sending the wrong message. “Nobody in the history of this country has done more damage to this country since the civil war than this young man.
“If at the end of the day, they allow him to go unpunished after what he has done, the implication is that nobody will ever commit any offence of this nature and be punished because everybody will always refer to him. “And this means that the constitution is automatically suspended in the country. This means that some people can just commit any crime at the expense of over 200 million Nigerians and get away with it.”
Shettima added, “Somebody can kill, pronounce killing and still get away with it; then what is the essence of condemning people to death for killing, murder when compared to what this man (Kanu) did?
“This is just a way of undermining the laws of our land, and indirectly they are saying the government of the day can be easily influenced. “This means, somebody can commit any offence and then come to Buhari or any other government after this and seek forgiveness.”
The AYCF National President noted that Kanu is not remorseful of his actions, hence he may boast of being begged. He added: “This man is not even remorseful, indirectly, it’s like the government is begging him to continue with what he’s doing, and he would go unpunished.
“The consequence is that, if he is allowed to go unpunished, we would end up having millions of Kanu rising, even if he decides not to go ahead with further actions. “If he is allowed to go, he (Kanu) will come out boasting that he did not beg to be released. He is not remorseful and there is nothing to show he regrets his actions, and anybody can do such and get away with it; we are not in the Banana Republic for God’s sake.”
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He maintained that the law should be allowed to take its full course in Kanu’s matter. “The law must take its full course and I hope it’s not what I’m thinking because nobody has done the kind of damage this man has done to this country; and up till date, we have not recovered from the consequences of what he has done to this country, we are watching.
“Nobody is saying he should be dealt with without committing any crime, but if he is found wanting; then he should be made to face the consequences of his actions since the matter is in court,” he added.
