Ohaneze Demands Release Of Kanu For Peace To Reign

by Omotayo Yusuf

The Ohaneze Youth Wing has told the federal government that it will give room for dialogue only after the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra.
In an interview with Vanguard, Okwu Nnabuike, the secretary general of the group said the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu was the reason for the escalation of the protest going on in the eastern and southern part of the country.

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He said: “Looking at the protests in the context of the position of Ndi Igbo in the polity, you will know that we are marginalised. And it is difficult to beat someone and ask the person not to cry. Anyone, who does not feel comfortable about his plight, is naturally entitled to speak out.
The protests were triggered by Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest. Agitations by ethnic associations are not peculiar to IPOB alone. There are various forms of agitations in Nigeria. We the Ohaneze Youth Wing, wants the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu to pave way for dialogue.
Doing so will give us the opportunity of talking to the leadership of the IPOB. If he is released, there will be room for interface with the group.
The Federal government should listen to pleas by Nigerians to release Kanu. The Inspector General of Police recently pleaded that Ohaneze should plead with the youths to stop the protests.   We are also appealing to the Federal Government to address the salient issues regarding the marginalisation of the South East. The restructuring of the country in line with the report of the Confab, would go a long way in assuaging the people.”
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On the question about whether Kanu was arrested because he was broadcasting hate message, he replied: “There is freedom of speech in this country and manners of doing so differ. His criticisms were not restricted to the Federal Government. He criticised Ohaneze, the British government and those he chose to lampoon. I have listened to Radio Biafra and heard his criticisms based on his beliefs.   I am not a part of IPOB, but I want the federal government to handle the matter in a manner that it would not lead to damaging consequences.”
Meanwhile,  Comrade Joseph Evah, the national coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, recalled that the Niger Delta people were against the Igbos during the civil war but are now ready to support them in their agitation for an independent Biafra state.