Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has clarified that the release of Nnamdi Kanu was not part of his discussion with the South-East governors in Enugu State on Tuesday.
Obasanjo, along with Chief Emeka Anyaoku, met with the governors at their invitation to discuss regional development issues.
According to a statement on Wednesday by Kehinde Akinyemi, Special Assistant on Media to the former president, the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by the Federal Government was not a topic of discussion.
“The meeting with them was at my invitation and of Chief Emeka Anyaoku before their summit begins. The issue of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the agenda and was not discussed in my presence,” Obasanjo was quoted to have said.
He stated that regional development issues included security and infrastructure. Additionally, economic and cooperative/collaborative efforts were meant to complement the national economic development agenda.
Since his re-arrest in Kenya in 2021 by the Federal Government, Kanu has been held by the Department of Security Service (DSS) under the order of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja declined to grant him bail, citing his previous bail jump for which Senator Abaribe was his surety.
Recently, there have been calls from various quarters for Kanu’s release. Among those advocating for his release are South-East Senators led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. The lawmakers argued that unless Kanu is released, social and economic activities in the South-East region will continue to stagnate.
The senators held a closed-door meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, where they delivered a letter to President Tinubu requesting Kanu’s release for onward passage to the presidency.
Additionally, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, called for Kanu’s release in a chat with journalists on Saturday. He argued that there was no reason for the continuous detention of the IPOB leader, given that a Nigerian court had earlier acquitted him, although that acquittal was overturned by the Supreme Court.