Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi, a First Republic Minister of Aviation, assured the people that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would soon regain his freedom.
Speaking to journalists in Onitsha, on Wednesday, the elder statesman, who had last year led a delegation to meet President Muhammad Buhari to request Kanu’s release said that negotiations were ongoing.
He, however, explained that he does not know the exact date Kanu will be released, adding that prominent Igbo leaders are still in talks with the Federal Government.
His assurance comes a day before Kanu’s bail hearing date.
He said that the detention of Kanu has caused the destruction of lives and properties in the South East, adding that: “the Igbo elders met with President Buhari shortly after Kanu’s arraignment in court and told him to release him for us to go home and discuss with him the next Igbo agenda and Buhari gave us an audience and ever since then, negotiations between us and the Federal Government have been on to free Kanu.
“Although, I am disappointed that up until now, Buhari has not released him despite assurances he gave to us on the day we visited him in Aso Rock, all hope is not lost as we are sure that Kanu will soon be released based on the ongoing negotiations.
“I will call on those agitating for one thing or the other to remain calm and be hopeful. Although, these agitations have demonstrated that only the release of Kanu will stop the agitations and we are working towards his release.”
Seconding Amaechi’s position, the Vice President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, said the only thing that can guarantee peace in the South-East region is to release Kanu.
According to him: “If anybody is looking for peace in Igbo land, Nnamdi Kanu should be first of all released unconditionally and soonest or else, we should not be expecting to have peace as long as he is still in detention.”
