IPOB demands Kanu’s unconditional release, threatens South-East lockdown from November 5

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Saturday demanded the unconditional release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

In a statement signed by Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, threatened to lock down the South-East for one week if the federal government fails to release Kanu by November 4.

According to the group, the region will be locked down from November 5 to November 10 when its leader will return to court for hearing in his trial for alleged treasonable felony and other allied charges.

Kanu appeared in court on Thursday to defend himself on the amended seven-count charges filed against him by the government.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The statement read: “Following the adjournment of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to November 10, 2021, by the Federal High Court, Abuja, we the great movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from November 5 to November 10 except Sunday, November 7, a day our people worship the Almighty God, Chukwu Okike Abiama, if the Nigeria Government fails to release our leader unconditionally before November 4, 2021.

“Our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi, must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021, because he has not committed any offence known to any law.

“Failure to release our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on or before November 4, 2021, our one-week Sit-At-Home begins on November 5, 2021, till November 10.

“Although we quite understand the pains and adverse effects of this option on our people, we are compelled to take it to achieve a better purpose in the collective interest of Biafrans.

READ ALSO: IPOB drags American academic to Court over publication on Kanu, group

“We have taken time to analyse what transpired on October 21, when our leader was arraigned in court and discovered that the Federal Government is not sincere and only wants to humiliate him and keep him perpetually in Department of State Services (DSS) custody to rot there.

“We all saw how lawyers, journalists, Igbo delegates and respected traditional rulers and other people, who came from all around the world to witness his court case were restricted and denied access into the court premises by security agents who kept them outside under the scorching heat of the sun. What a humiliation and wickedness!

“We cannot accept that anymore. We can never allow our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to be tried secretly and we can never also allow him to be tried under Sharia law and under any guise. Nigeria must follow International laws in handling our leader’s case.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in DSS dungeon today because of his passion for Biafra independence and we must sacrifice all we can to ensure that he regains his freedom. He has sacrificed so much for us all, so we must be prepared to sacrifice little for him.

“Unless the Federal Government releases him unconditionally before November 4, we shall sacrifice one week for him as a warning protest to convey to our oppressors that Nnamdi Kanu represents over 70 million Biafrans. He is innocent of all the charges preferred against him. As long as he is in detention, our individual businesses do not matter so much because he is suffering for us all and we can’t abandon him.”

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