Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has stated that the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is connected to “a long-term future for the Igbos” in the country.
Anambra Governor Soludo Says Nnamdi Kanu’s Release Is Linked To Future Of Igbo In Nigeria
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has stated that the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is connected to “a long-term future for the Igbos” in the country.
Governor Soludo noted that Kanu’s release is not essentially connected to the security situation in the South-East region.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for nearly five years following his controversial arrest in Kenya by the Nigerian government.
Despite numerous court orders and calls from political and civil society groups demanding his release, he remains detained.
Some proponents of Kanu’s release argue that it would help curb the region’s escalating insecurity.
However, during a media chat on Monday to mark his third year in office, Governor Soludo, who has been vocal in advocating for Kanu’s freedom, said, “The release of Nnamdi Kanu for me is different from the issue of security. I separate the two; I don’t link the two.”
He explained that his push for Kanu’s release is based on the need for broader discussions about the political future of the Igbo people.
“Nnamdi Kanu for me is for us to have a conversation on a long-term future for the Igbos, and that is a different conversation,” he said.
On the issue of insecurity in the South-East, the governor noted that criminal elements had taken advantage of the situation for their own gain.
He reiterated his administration’s amnesty offer to those willing to surrender, emphasising rehabilitation and reintegration.
“For the criminals who are kidnappers, we have given them an olive branch. Come out, we will train you, we will empower you, we will rehabilitate you. If you don’t, we take you out,” Soludo warned.
He also pointed fingers at Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed IPOB leader based in Finland, accusing him of worsening insecurity in the region.
Ekpa, who declared himself Kanu’s successor, has been linked to violent attacks and enforcement of sit-at-home orders in the South-East.
“A whole lot of this Simon Ekpa and some of his band of criminals took over and turned things into a killing spree, just killing people with reckless abandon,” Soludo stated.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November last year over alleged incitement to violence with terrorist intent.
Soludo dismissed Ekpa’s activities as a scam, saying, “I don’t know what he is pursuing other than to swindle people for money.”
The South-East has been grappling with rising violence, often attributed to armed groups linked to IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Despite repeated denials from Kanu and IPOB, the Nigerian government holds them responsible for many of the attacks.
While calls for Kanu’s release persist, Soludo’s remarks highlight the complex nature of the region’s security crisis, suggesting that criminal activities extend beyond the IPOB leader’s detention.
