Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday met with former President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore disclosed that Jonathan acknowledged the urgency of addressing Kanu’s case and promised to meet with President Bola Tinubu on the matter.
Posting on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, the meeting which took place in Abuja, centred on finding a just and lasting resolution to Kanu’s prolonged incarceration.“Earlier today in Abuja, I met with former President @GEJonathan to discuss the continued incarceration of Mazi @NnamdiKanu,” Sowore wrote.
“President Jonathan agreed that there is an urgent and compelling need to address this matter decisively and justly. I thank him sincerely for recognizing the importance of resolving Kanu’s case in the interest of peace, fairness, and national healing.”
According to Sowore, Jonathan assured him that he would meet with President Tinubu as soon as possible to discuss the issue.With this, former President Jonathan joins a growing list of Nigerians who have called for justice in Nnamdi Kanu’s case a list that already includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, Senator Shehu Sani, and many others across political and regional divides,” he added.
Sowore described Kanu’s continued detention as unjust, noting that the IPOB leader had only sought to confront what he termed the “long-standing issue of marginalization in Nigeria.”
“Like other ethnic and regional activists whose politically motivated cases have been withdrawn or dismissed, Nnamdi Kanu should also be released without further delay,” Sowore stated.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, facing charges bordering on terrorism and secession. Despite court orders granting him bail, the Federal Government has continued to hold him, citing national security concerns.
