IPOB: Senate rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s release motion
A motion to free Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, from custody was rejected by the Senate.
Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) proposed the motion in an effort to resolve the South-East’s ongoing sit-at-home order, which is enforced by unidentified gunmen.
The congressman stated in the resolution co-sponsored by fellow South Eastern lawmakers that the senators were aware that thousands of innocent people had died since the conflict began and that over a trillion dollars’ worth of property had been damaged, driving away investors.
He stated:
“The sit-at-home civil disobedience actions in the South-East have led to the disruption/destruction of economic activities and immeasurable financial losses for businesses, workers, and the local economy. Because, when people are forced to stay at home and businesses remain closed, productivity declines and income is reduced, affecting livelihoods and economic growth.
“The “sit-at-home” protests disrupt the education of students, leading to missed classes and delays in academic progress. And such prolonged disruptions have long-term effects on students’ learning outcomes and educational development; Disturbed that disruption of essential public services, such as healthcare, transportation, and waste disposal, continues to have a severe impact during “sit-at-home” protests which adversely affect the well-being and safety of the general population living in the South-East.”However, the Senate rejected requests for a political resolution to the arrested IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu‘s case, who is now in the Department of State Services’ (DSS) custody. In particular, the Senate rejected requests that the DSS drop all ongoing legal proceedings against Kanu.
When Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, the senators responded by voting against it.
In his contribution, Akpabio highlighted that the governors of the South-East were not doing enough to control the situation.
“What have the various State Governments in this region done to stop this menace? Because this is localized, if the criminals are arrested and paraded, the citizens would know that the government is working. “If the Governor of the state himself observes the sit-and-home and the civil servants who work for the government also sit at home. The criminals would be empowered.” He insisted that it is time the menace is curbed to ameliorate the suffering of the people of the area, saying the action is causing fear and hunger in the country.
The Senate also observed a moment of quiet in memory of those who died as a result of the sit-at-home campaigners’ activities.
Remember that IPOB ordered a Monday sit-at-home order across the South-East in August 2021 to protest Kanu‘s ongoing detention? Eventually, the separatist organization revoked the directive.
However, despite the exercise being discontinued by the IPOB section led by Kanu, Simon Ekpa, the leader of a faction, has continued to issue sit-at-home orders in the area.
Gunmen implementing the civil order frequently kill, maim, and attack residents of the five South-East states of Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra for leaving their homes on Mondays and other days in violation of the order.
