A registered Igbo civil society group, League of Igbo Youth Lawyers (LIYOLAW) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as compensation for Ndigbo’s non-participation in the nationwide protests.
National President of the lawyers group, Stanley Okafor made the appeal in Awka, Anambra State during a media briefing on the just concluded anti-Tinubu protests which the South East shunned and its impact on the socio-political equation in Nigeria.
The nationwide protests tagged #EndBadGovernance, that commenced on August 1st to 10th, was carried out by aggrieved Nigerians across the country.
South East zone and some parts of the country, however did not participate following calls by leaders and stakeholders to people of the region to distance themselves from the protests.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Okafor argued that immediate release of the Biafran agitator would serve as compensation for the calmness witnessed in the South East during the 10days protest.
He condemned what he described as violent change of government, reassuring the group’s loyalty to the Tinubu-led administration until its expiration.
He said: “We’re appealing to the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please give us our brother and not to kill him. He didn’t commit any offense by rising up to defend his people.
“We’re not protesting against your government, neither are we up in riot against you. We’re minded democrats who uphold democratic ideals. However in return, we’re begging, please release Nnamdi Kanu.
“Let it be a compensation for the calmness that has pervaded the South East, so that together we’ll begin to look at a new chapter how we can agree or otherwise on the journey of nation building.
“We reassure our loyalty to the Tinubu-led administration and will continue to support him whether good or bad. We will only consider next action after his tenure is exhausted.”
While insisting that Biafra was not a treat to anyone, but simply occasioned by mistreatment of innocent Igbo people, the lawyer warned against all forms of attacks on Ndigbo.
“Everybody saw what befell Nigeria under former President Buhari. How justifiable is it that Sunday Igboho is allowed to walk freely, while the other is punished in jail? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
“We can’t hold back, but to tell the Nigerian government that Biafra isn’t a treat to anyone. It simply came on the heels of mistreatment of innocent Igbo people.
“The Igbo man wants to be brothers with the rest of Nigerians, but continually we’ve been driven to the brink.
“Even when the Igbo declared that they don’t want to protest, some people in Lagos still went ahead to campaign against them.
“We want to warn those who think they own this country that nobody has the monopoly of violence, otherwise it will consume them. It’s easy to start a fire, but difficult to quench it.
“The Igbo man never runs away from defending himself, but we’re nation builders. They can go ahead to protest, but we the Igbo won’t be part of it,” he added.
