Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a communique on Tuesday, the group said that the fair hearing of the separatist leader’s cases may no longer be guaranteed due to controversial and conflicting legal proceedings in different courts.
Afenifere had held a general meeting at Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State, the hometown of its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo. It was presided over by its deputy leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan.
In the statement signed by both Olaitan and the National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, Afenifere argued that Kanu should be released in the interest of justice and national reconciliation.
Describing Kanu as a political detainee, Afenifere said that there is no justification for his continued detention without trial.
The communique read: ‘Afenifere notes that from all circumstances, particularly since his abduction in 2021 and repatriation to Nigeria, and since then subjected to controversial and conflicting legal proceedings in different courts by which his fair trial may no longer be guaranteed in the opinion of reasonable members of the public, it is clear that Nnamdi Kanu is undoubtedly a political detainee.
‘There is no justifiable reason to continue to keep him in detention without trial’.
The group also appointed Barrister Dele Farotimi as its National Organising Secretary.
‘The General Meeting considered and approved the appointment of Barrister Dele Farotimi as the National Organising Secretary of the Afenifere’.
It also reiterated the call for state police, saying the vast territory, population, and federation cannot be effectively and meaningfully secured with a single command of unitary police.
‘Afenifere reiterates the position that Nigeria with its vast territory, population, and as a federation cannot be effectively and meaningfully secured with a single command unitary police structure and thus the need for the restructuring to ensure immediate constitutional institutionalization of state police.
‘The steps will prevent a situation the Governor of Oyo State, even as the Chief Security Officer, had to helplessly and lamentably make an outcry on the infiltration of bandits into his state’, the communique further read.
