S’East insecurity: Anambra monarch, Onyido, calls for Kanu’s release

From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

The traditional ruler of Ogidi Kingdom in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Alex Uzo Onyido has, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to unconditionally release the leader of Indigenous People of Bifra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu so as to reduce crime and insurgency in South East.

Igwe Onyido blamed the spate of crime and insurgency in the zone to the continued incarceration of the IPOB leader.

The monarch who disclosed this at his 4th Ofala festival said that the upsurge in crime, particularly kidnapping and cultism was being tackled in Ogidi despite the fact that it is a general phenomenon across the country.

“I am appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come to the aid of the South East region and release Nnamdi Kanu. This singular gesture of Mr. President will no doubt, mitigate incidents of insurgency and other criminal activities in the South East.

“There is no gainsaying that the continued detention of Mazi Kanu is disrupting the development of the South East region with youth restiveness as its by-product.

“Let it be known that, until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to ethnic nationality,  until there are no more first class and second class citizens of our dear country, and until the ethnic nationality of Nigerian citizens is of no more significance than their national citizenship, until that day, the dream of lasting  peace, rule of law and national integration will remain an illusion to be pursued but never attained,” he said.

He said that the community set up a security committee to supervise and control different challenges of security breach, adding that they were working with security agencies to organise youth convention where seasoned resource persons would be invited to address the youths on the current insurgency and dangers of cultism.

Igwe Onyido informed that early next year, Ogidi union would organise a head count of all indigenes at home and abroad so as to establish a data-base of all its citizens.