No Single Igbo Is Happy Over Kanu’s Imprisonment,’ Says Ohanaeze President-General

President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Azuta Mbata, says the imprisonment of the Indigenous People of Biafra leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a source of displeasure, dismay and discontent for Ndigbo.

“No single Igbo is happy over the imprisonment of MAZI NNAMDI KANU,” Sen. Mbata said, in remarks attributed to him as Ohanaeze President-General.

Kanu had been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June 2021 before he was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja over alleged terrorism-related charges. His legal team’s persistent calls for his release on grounds of health, fair trial concerns, and the circumstances of his 2021 extradition from Kenya proved abortive. The Federal Government insisted on prosecution of the trial until his sentence.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has in several occasions appealed to the government for a political solution to Kanu’s case, citing peace and stability in the South-East. The region has faced recurring sit-at-home orders and security incidents since Kanu’s detention.

Sen. Mbata’s comment adds credence to a series of public statements by Igbo leaders and governors urging dialogue on the matter. The Federal Government has been unconcerned about repeated pleas for political solutions in Kanu’s issue.