The Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has asked the Nigerian government to handle the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with speed or release him from detention.
The IPOB leader was granted bail by Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja in April 2017 after Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and two others agreed to be his sureties with each of them staking N100 million worth of Abuja properties as security for the bail.
But in September of that same year, soldiers invaded Kanu’s home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, the Abia state capital, forcing him to flee the country, first to Israel, and later to the United Kingdom.
In June 2021, the IPOB leader was re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria to face charges of treason.
Speaking during a one-day Peacebuilding and Security Dialogue held in Awka on Saturday, Soludo said an expeditious release of Kanu would cushion the insecurity impasse in the South-East.
The governor pointed out that justice delayed is justice denied.
He said the state government would open rehabilitation centres for those who dropped their arms and set up a truth and reconciliation panel to investigate and placate those who lost their lives and property in the course of the violence.
Soludo said he was ready for total engagement with all parties, including the aggrieved, in the quest for peace.
He called on all genuine agitators to drop their arms and leave the forest while warning criminal elements taking advantage of the situation to torment the people to withdraw or face the full force of the law.
“We will engage with the good, the bad and the ugly. We will not discriminate against anybody.
“We need more engagement than force in solving the problems, we need peace and security in our land to make progress, we can’t continue to cut our nose to spite our face.
“All churches should announce the Monday prayers. They will also signal the end of Monday sit-at-home order that had lingered for months,” he said.
