Ngige begs Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, cites South East crisis

DDM News

(DDM) — Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has publicly appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to authorize the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), stating that continued incarceration is worsening the already fragile security and economy of the South East.

Ngige, who also served as governor of Anambra State, made the appeal during a media interview in Abuja on Wednesday, where he lamented the failure of former President Muhammadu Buhari to act decisively on similar requests.

The former minister said that despite persistent efforts by prominent Igbo leaders, including himself, to secure Kanu’s release under the previous administration, Buhari refused to exercise his political authority.

Ngige recalled how delegations from the South East approached the presidency several times during Buhari’s tenure, hoping for a political resolution to Kanu’s detention.

He described Kanu’s case as one that demands compassion and political understanding, not prolonged legal confrontation.

According to him, “The situation in the South East is deteriorating, and the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is a major contributing factor.”

He argued that a political solution is not only possible but essential to restoring normalcy across Igbo states.

The former minister emphasized that insecurity, especially the persistent Monday sit-at-home orders in the region, has crippled economic activities.

DDM gathered that businesses, schools, and transport systems in major cities like Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, and Owerri have all been deeply affected by the unrest surrounding Kanu’s imprisonment.

Ngige pointed out that the region’s economy, heavily reliant on small businesses and daily commerce, cannot survive prolonged disruptions without a proactive intervention from the federal government.

He pleaded with Tinubu to demonstrate statesmanship by resolving the issue politically and not through prolonged judicial processes.

Ngige said that ending Kanu’s detention could be the beginning of genuine peace and reconciliation in the South East.

He urged the President to take advantage of his renewed mandate to correct what many believe is an avoidable source of conflict in Nigeria’s national fabric.

Meanwhile, DDM notes that public sentiment across the South East has increasingly favored Kanu’s release, with many citizens blaming his incarceration for rising radicalism and continued hostility toward federal authorities.

Ngige’s public plea adds to growing pressure on Tinubu to address the lingering IPOB crisis not with force, but with a human-centered approach rooted in political compromise.

As 2027 approaches, analysts believe that how Tinubu handles this issue could shape his standing in the South East and influence broader national unity.

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