- Igbo leaders seek political solution to crisis in Southeast
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with some Igbo leaders led by Chief Mbazulike Amaechi at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the Igbo leaders who attended the meeting included Bishop Sunday Onuoha, former Gov. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Mr. Tagbo Amaechi and Chief Goddy Uwazurike.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, also attended the meeting.
NAN reports that the agenda of the meeting which lasted more than one hour was not disclosed to newsmen.
Participants at the meeting did not speak to the press on the outcome of their engagement with the president.
NAN, however, gathered from reliable source that the meeting might have discussed some national issues including the arrest and detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, insecurity and socio-economic developments in the South East zone of the country.
Igbo leaders are worried over the continued detention of Kanu and the ongoing trial.
On Thursday, Kanu had raised alarm over his deteriorating health in Department of State Security (DSS) custody.
In a statement he authorised to be issued through his counsel, Aloy Ejimakor and Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanu said despite a court order to the contrary, the condition of his detention at the DSS headquarters in Abuja continues to be harsh, degrading and inhumane.
He also alleged that he is solitarily confined to a very tiny cell 23 hours of the day without access to sunlight and any social interactions whatsoever.
He believes that was aimed at inflicting extreme emotional and mental distress on him and breaking him psychologically.
He also claimed that any detainee who encounters and greets him during the single hour he is allowed outside his cell was promptly put in solitary confinement or transferred to maximum security as a punishment for exchanging mere greetings with him.
“Because of this, detainees have resorted to avoiding him and exchanging salutations with him, not to talk of any other form of social interactions,” the statement further claimed.
NAN