Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent Labour Party chieftain, has attributed the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to ethnic bias. Okonkwo made these remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, highlighting discrepancies in how separatists from different regions are treated.
Okonkwo argued that Kanu’s actions are not unique compared to other separatists who have faced legal actions but were subsequently released. He pointed to Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nation agitator, and members of Boko Haram, noting their release and reintegration into society.
“Nnamdi Kanu has not done anything that other people from other zones have done. We know about Sunday Igboho of the Yoruba nation agitator. We know of the Boko Haram people who say that they want a different country where Western education is an abomination. These people have been released, not just that they have been released; in the case of Boko Haram, they have been reassimilated into society and given plum jobs. Why is Nnamdi Kanu’s case different? There is an ethnic and some unnecessary bias that is keeping that man in jail,” Okonkwo stated.
He emphasized the inconsistency in the judicial system’s handling of Kanu’s case, highlighting that various courts have granted him bail and quashed charges against him. Okonkwo urged the government to release Kanu, suggesting it would bring peace to the South-East region.
“As a lawyer, I have watched the legal issues very clearly, and I saw that even in the courts, from the high court to the supreme court, there are discordant tunes amongst them. Even in the issue of bail, some of the tiers of the court have granted him bail. Even in the issue of the charges, some tiers of the court have quashed all the charges. So, you can see that the government has a lot of places it can stand to release the young man and bring peace to the South-East,” he added.
Kanu has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since his extradition from Kenya in June 2021 and is facing terrorism charges at the federal high court. His detention has sparked widespread calls for his release, particularly from stakeholders in the South-East region. Recently, 50 members of the House of Representatives and governors under the South-East Governors’ Forum have appealed to President Bola Tinubu for Kanu’s release.
The South-East has experienced increased violence from gunmen enforcing a sit-at-home order on Mondays, demanding Kanu’s release. Okonkwo urged the federal government to take a wise approach by releasing Kanu, drawing parallels to the treatment of other separatists.
“The longer Nnamdi Kanu is in prison, the taller he becomes and the shorter the government becomes,” Okonkwo concluded.
