Northern coalition warns against release of Nnamdi Kanu

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has asked Pres­ident Muhammadu Buhari not to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Bi­afra (IPOB).

Igbo leaders had visited the president at Aso Rock on Friday, demanding that Kanu should be released.

Buhari, who described their request as heavy, had said he would consider it.

But CNG has described the request as an attempt to subvert the course of justice.

At a press conference in Kano on Monday, spokes­man of the coalition, Ab­dul-Azeen Suleiman, criti­cised Buhari’s response to Igbo leaders, saying, “The North would hold Buhari responsible for the blood of its people unlawfully shed through the activities of Kanu in the event he suc­cumbs to the Igbo pressure to release him.”

“Several millions worth of businesses, properties and valuable assets belong­ing to Northerners and cit­izens of other regions were destroyed across the South Eastern cities on the instruc­tions of Nnamdu Kanu…”, Suleiman said.

The coalition said it ob­served that “the demand (by the Igbo elders) and Bu­hari’s disturbing promise to consider it without mind­ing the number of soldiers, policemen and thousands of other innocent Nigeri­ans already murdered and presently physically threat­ened by IPOB militants on the express orders of Kanu suggest a lack of sense of responsibility on the part of those in power.

“Buhari’s response to the Igbo leaders’ demand could also signal a dangerous endorsement of the amass­ing of the huge number of arms already imported by IPOB terrorists and their sponsors, which are already being used to cause mayhem across the country.

“This has also further exposed the extent of com­plicity and docility of our clerics and other communi­ty leaders who were in the forefront of urging tolerance from Northerners when they came under incessant attacks, but could not find the voice to speak today.”

Suleiman said the coa­lition, therefore, resolved among others that any at­tempt to release Kanu “will inadvertently reduce Nige­ria to a completely lawless state where criminals of all shades will commit crimes against the country, and then ask their traditional rulers and other regional or tribal leaders to press for their re­lease.”

The coalition also warned Buhari to reclaim his states­manship by “refusing to be cajoled into interfering with the standard principle of separation of powers and in­dependence of the judiciary.

(Daily Independent)