The South East caucus in the House of Representatives has expressed support for the call for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider freeing him and others in a similar situation.
The caucus made the call in a statement signed by the 43 lawmakers that cut across the five states of the South East geopolitical zone – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
The statement was signed by Deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Abia); the Deputy minority whip of the House, Hon. George Ozodinobi (Anambra); the leader of the South East caucus, Hon. Enwo Igariwey (Ebonyi); Deputy Leader of the caucus, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji (Enugu) and the Secretary of the caucus, Hon. Miriam Onuoha (Imo), among others.
The caucus said the appeal for an out-of-court settlement of Kanu’s case was also supported by the Federal High Court, adding that a political solution is one of the quickest ways of bringing an end to the matter and in turn, restore peace in the South East region.
The statement reads: “A few days ago, at the resumed hearing of the case against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu currently pending at an Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, the issue of the out-of-court settlement of the matter was discussed between Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, and the Attorney General and minister of Justice.
“According to newspaper reports, and our verified accounts of proceedings from those who were in court on that day, the court displayed sufficient support for the out-of-court settlement of this case, being one of the acceptable canons of dispute resolution in our civil and criminal jurisprudence.
“As a Caucus of the House of Representatives from where Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hails from, we have taken liberty, in consonance with parliamentary practice, to seek the support of other Regional caucuses of the House of Representatives to achieve a quick and responsible resolution of the seemingly intractable Mazi Nnamdi Kanu case, a legal impasse that is undoubtedly the missing puzzle in solving the lingering security conundrum in the south East of Nigeria.
“We, therefore, as Representatives of the five south East states in the House of Representatives, urge Mr President, to consider the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his other similarly detained followers.
“We are convinced that a political settlement of this matter by way of out-of-court settlement, as canvassed before Justice Binta Nyako, is the quickest, most effective, and honorable way of closing this difficult and painful chapter of our national history.”