ABUJA, Nigeria – The Movement for the Advancement of National Transformation, MANTRA, has made a strong appeal to the federal government for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
This comes in the wake of Yoruba nation activist, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, being granted freedom by the Beninese government.
On July 1, 2021, the DSS reported an intense altercation between Sunday Igboho, his lieutenants, and officers of the secret police at his residence in Soka, Ibadan. He was later detained in the Benin Republic during an attempted move to Germany. This Monday, he was released.
In an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, in Abuja, the Convener of MANTRA, Jude Ndukwe, lauded the liberation of Sunday Igboho.
He said the freedom fighter’s freedom reflected that President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency is not driven by vendettas and is against the persecution of its citizens.
Chief Ndukwe asserted, “It is based on this that we urge President Tinubu to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
He stressed that failure to do so would raise concerns about the government’s impartiality.
Drawing parallels between the two cases, Ndukwe mentioned, “What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”
He asserted that Sunday Igboho’s release would not have been possible without the Nigerian government’s intervention. He urged the same approach for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to restore peace in the southeast.
Ndukwe also highlighted the striking resemblance between President Bola Tinubu’s past and Kanu’s current situation, noting their roles as agitators.
He reminded everyone of Tinubu’s NADECO days, during which he faced state-sanctioned persecution.
The statement emphasized, “Today, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is being made to unjustly pass through the same horrendous process. The contrast being, while Tinubu experienced this during a military regime, Kanu faces it under a civilian government, led by a former activist.”
MANTRA’s message was clear: “We therefore reiterate our urgent call for Nnamdi Kanu to be released now.” The ball now lies in the court of the Nigerian government, and the nation awaits its next move.
