Nnamdi Kanu: IPOB faults Ohanaeze, says call for amnesty misguided
By Emma Ogbuehi
Smarting from the discouraging ruling of the Supreme Court which upholds treasonable charge against its leader, Nnamdi Kanu the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disagreed with apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo over its call for Amnesty for its members, saying that the call is misguided, baseless, and lacks understanding of what it stands for and needs.
IPOB maintained that it is not a militant or criminal group but a self-determination agitation group that has not waged war against the federal government of Nigeria, irrespective of all their provocations, noting that it is not fighting to control vast resources in South East that will warrant giving amnesty to its members.
Ohanaeze and prominent Igbo leaders have been making case for the release of the detained IPOB leader, which they say, would reduce tension in the South East and mitigate the climate of insecurity in the region.
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IPOB however stressed that while it appreciates Ohanaeze Ndigbo for calling for the release of its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, it said the organization should be calling for a United Nations supervised referendum to determine if the people of South East still want to be in Nigeria. IPOB announced its stance in a statement.
The statement read, “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, worldwide disagrees with the statement of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who was appealing to the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and grant IPOB members Amnesty.
“As much as we appreciate his call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, his request for Federal Government of Nigeria to grant IPOB members Amnesty is misguided, baseless, and lacks understanding.
“What IPOB needs is the release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, and a UN supervised Biafra Referendum.
We totally disagree with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Chief Iwanyanwu, on their call of a baseless amnesty because IPOB members are not militants and criminals waging war against Nigeria.
“We are a self-determination agitation group. We have not waged war against the Federal Government of Nigeria irrespective of all their provocations. We are not fighting to control our vast resources. We are unarmed freedom fighters for the sovereignty and independence of the people of Biafra to save our lives”.