The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has demanded for the release of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, saying this was germane to restore peace in the South-East region.
The group observed that agitations in the South-East zone predated the Biafra leader, adding they were rooted in decades of political and economic exclusion, and the feelings of injustice experienced by residents of the region.
Its Executive Director, Dr Okechukwu Nwanguma said this in a statement, on Friday.
He said, “When the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and a coalition of Southeast civil society organizations convened the Peace and Security Stakeholders’ Summit in Enugu in February 2025, the discussions were frank, evidence-based, and forward-looking.
“Participants critically examined the intersections of security, human rights, civic space, and development in the beleaguered Southeast. One of the most resonant recommendations that emerged was clear: the release of Nnamdi Kanu is essential to reconciliation, reduction of violence, and the pursuit of lasting peace in the region.
“The separatist agitation in the Southeast did not begin with Nnamdi Kanu or the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). It is rooted in decades of political and economic exclusion, neglect, and feelings of injustice experienced by the people of the region.”
He added, “The end of the Nigeria–Biafra civil war was expected to usher in the three Rs – Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation. Instead, what followed was marginalization, the destruction of civic trust, and a widening gap between the Southeast and the Nigerian state.
“IPOB’s agitation, led by Nnamdi Kanu, represents a political expression of these long-festering grievances. And because it is political, it demands a political solution, not a militarized or punitive one.
“Over the years, courts in Nigeria and in Kenya have ruled that Nnamdi Kanu’s extraordinary rendition was unlawful and violated both his personal rights and international law. Nigerian courts have also ordered his release. Yet, the Federal Government has refused to comply.
“Contrast this with how other forms of armed agitation and violence have been handled. Leaders of militant groups in the Niger Delta were granted amnesty and rewarded with contracts, employment, and scholarships abroad.
Sunday Igboho, who championed the Yoruba self-determination cause, was released.
“The Federal Government has held open negotiations with so-called “repentant” bandits – many of whom have killed, kidnapped, and destroyed communities – even allowing them to attend peace meetings heavily armed and dictating terms. Thousands of Boko Haram members have been granted amnesty, rehabilitated, and in some cases, integrated into security agencies.
“How, then, can Nnamdi Kanu be treated differently – as if, even if guilty of any offence, he poses a greater threat to national security than those who have waged terror against the state?
“This glaring inconsistency raises a painful question: Is this yet another manifestation of the discriminatory treatment of the Southeast, reminiscent of former President Buhari’s remark about “treating them in the language they understand”?”