Uche Onyeagocha, a former Secretary to the Government of Imo State, has called for the unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu was arrested and is being detained by the Department of State Service.
Onyeagucha made the call when speaking as a guest speaker at the Ripples Nigeria National Dialogue held at Sheraton Hotel Lagos.
He called on President Buhari to ensure that Nnamdi Kanu is released without any conditions and reverse the proscription of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.
He said: “Moving forward, Nnamdi Kanu should be released unconditionally, IPOB should be de-proscribed, Sunday Igboho should be released unconditionally. Every citizen of Nigeria must be free to exercise his inalienable right without fear of any recrimination.
“It is incumbent on all those who aspire to one Nigeria to convince those who are agitating for the right to self-determination within Nigeria why they should abandone their agitation and embrace one Nigeria. Bullying, intimidation, arrest , detention, killing and dubious trials are not an option”
Onyeagocha also urged Nigerians to be tolerant of each other and respect each others right to disagree including right of self-determination.
He, However, called on President Buhari and other Nigerian leaders to apologize to Nigerian masses for the wrongs they have done to Nigerians.
He declared that President Buhari should apologize to Nigerians for staging the December 31th military coup which according to him was an act of treason punishable under Nigerian law.
“Our leaders must learn to go back and apologise for things they have done in the past that remained offensive. Buhari must apologize for the military coup of 31th December 1983 . That coup of 1983 was an act of treason which is still punishable under our extant laws because a criminal offense is still punishable at all times. It is not proper that somebody who has already committed treason before all Nigerians by overthrowing a popular and democratically elected government is turning around to harass Nnamdi Kanu and Igboho and trying to charge them for treason. So you abducted him from Kenya and you want to charge him for treason when you committed your own here in Lagos”, Onyeagucha declared.
