•Says endless detention humiliation to Igbo race
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The family of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has threatened to name some politicians they alleged to responsible for the continued detention of their son.
The family described the continued incarceration of their son, despite appeals and several court orders to release him, as “a humiliation” of not just their son, but “the entire Igbo race.”
Speaking against the backdrop of the recent denial of bail to the IPOB leader by the Abuja High Court, spokesman of the family, Emmanuel Kanu, said the family has no doubt that the continued incarceration was the handiwork of
some selfish politicians, ‘who are benefiting from the insecurity in the South East’.
The family threatened to expose the beneficiaries of their son’s continued incarceration and the insecurity in the South East region. Emmanuel said those behind Kanu’s ordeals would be held accountable by the Igbo nation and Biafrans at large, should anything untoward happen to him.
“If they fail to act, Ndigbo and Biafrans at large must hold them responsible. And it may get to a point where the masses may no longer be held back.
“Nobody dies with any secret. Very soon, all those behind Kanu’s continued detention will be exposed. Those benefiting from the insecurity in the South East are the ones enjoying his continued stay in detention. But nothing lasts for ever. One day, they will be out of power.”
The family wondered why it had become so difficult for Igbo political elite and leaders to book appointment for an audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to discuss Kanu’s matter, nearly one year the president took over power.
“How is it nobody among Igbo political leaders has reached Tinubu to discuss Nnamdi Kanu’s release, almost a year he came to power?
“Is it not deliberate? Have they not been gaining access to the president concerning other issues? It’s a shame that Kanu is being punished for asking for the freedom of Ndigbo and the leaders have abandoned him to die in DSS custody.
“Kanu is terribly sick and nobody cares. His health is deteriorating everyday. He has not changed his clothes. Why has the court continued to hold him at DSS custody instead of Correctional Centre?”
Kanu’s family insisted that some people are benefiting from his continued incarceration, hence, the apparent apathy on the part of the political elite to engage the president for his release.
“Why should he be abandoned for asking the freedom of Biafra? He didn’t take up arms against government, but he was tagged a terrorist. Yet the same government is busy releasing terrorists from detention.”
Meanwhile, the family has expressed sadness over the refusal of Justice Binta Nyako to grant Kanu bail, saying his continued detention was a humiliation to the Igbo race.
The family wondered if the trial judge had taken time to go through the certified true copy (CTC), of the Supreme Court ruling on the matter which held that the Federal High Court ought not to have revoked Kanu’s bail in the first place.
The family said if truly the trial judge had digested the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment, the court would not have denied him his bail application at the last hearing on Monday.
The family was of the opinion that the IPOB leader “is never afraid of standing trial”, but only regretted that “the conditions they subjected him to do not guarantee justice”.
“Why can’t they allow him to change his clothes? Why will they keep him in DSS custody for years instead of sending him to Kuje Correctional Centre, where he can have access to his doctors?” Emmanuel queried.
The family urged the court not to create the impression that it was acting a script in their son’s case.