Senators from the south-east geopolitical region held a closed-door meeting with Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, over the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The meeting held barely hours after governors from the south-east region resolved to meet President Bola Tinubu over the release of Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Led by Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south senatorial district, the lawmakers said Kanu’s release is key to reviving the economy of the south-east.
The senators’ letter was handed to Fagbemi for onward transmission to “the presidency”.
Abaribe said the “peaceful demand of the detained IPOB leader had been hijacked by hoodlums and hardened criminals, leading to wanton killings of innocent people, including security operatives”.
He lamented that the socio-economic life of the region has been negatively impacted by Kanu’s incarceration.
Kanu, who is standing trial at the federal high court in Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on treasonable felony, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021.
In 2017, the court granted Kanu bail on the charges filed against him by the federal government.
However, the court revoked Kanu’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to present himself as required.
The IPOB leader was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria — after being on the run for a few years.
In April 2022, Binta Nyako, presiding judge, struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge.
The remaining seven counts were also quashed by the court of appeal on October 13, 2022, with the judge ordering Kanu’s release.
However, on October 28, 2022, the court of appeal granted a stay of execution on its verdict discharging Kanu, after the federal government filed an appeal at the supreme court.
