CLO demands unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu

Civil Liberties Organisa­tion (CLO) South-East zone yesterday asked for an unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), adding that his con­tinued detention is uncalled for.

In a statement read by the zonal Chairman, Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah, during its quarterly review manage­ment committee meeting, it said it has been one year and six months since the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnam­di Kanu, leader of the Indig­enous People of Biafra (IPOB) on October14 2015.

CLO South-East further asked for the release of other prominent members of the group also detained includ­ing Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and many others languishing in custody.

CLO statement reads in part: “The agitation for an independent state of Biafra was borne out of the scars of the past (events that led to the Nigeria- Biafra Civil war and its aftermath) which are yet to be addressed till today and the long term marginali­sation of some sections of the country.

“Government using the instruments of coercion in­stead of working towards ad­dressing the anomalies chose the option of force in quelling such agitations and that is one area they will continue to get it wrong.

Experience the world over has shown that the use of force in quelling such agita­tions emboldens the propo­nents to wax stronger in their zeal. The more they are killed, the more their spirits gin­gered to forge ahead.

“Mr President had in a Presidential media chat sometimes ago literally con­victed Nnamdi Kanu on air for acts bordering on terror­ism even without verifiable facts or allowing the lawyers and the judges to do their work in the court.

But it is a settled fact that agitations for self-determina­tion or rights of the people to existence are recognised glob­ally in so far as the proponents doesn’t use or advocate vio­lence to achieve their goals.

“The Nigerian Govern­ment in 1993 signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Politi­cal Rights of 1976 whose Ar­ticle 1 provided the Citizens Rights to Self Determination, so also Article 20 of the Afri­can Charter on Human and People’s Rights of 1981 rati­fied and domesticated by Ni­geria in 1983.

Source – The Authority