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The Labour Party torchbearer in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other incarcerated freedom fighters.
Obi made the call while speaking to journalists in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Obi condemned the continuous detention of Kanu, noting that the courts of the land have set him free. For this reason, he said President Tinubu has no reason to continue to keep the secessionist agitator in detention.
The former Anambra State Governor also urged leaders to redouble their efforts in tackling insecurity, warning that if left unresolved, the country may slide into a failed nation.
“I don’t see any reason for his continuous detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court.
“The rule of law is an intricate asset that we must cherish and live with. I use this opportunity to plead with the Federal Government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed.
“We are in a democracy, and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law,” he said.
Obi laments insecurity
Commenting on the alarming state of security in the country, Obi said Nigeria is teetering dangerously towards becoming a failed state if the current trend isn't urgently halted.
“The primary work of government is the security of lives and property. It is the foundation on which people can live in any nation because no one can stay in an insecure place.
“It is worrisome what is happening in Nigeria with the news of killings, abductions, and other vices that have made Nigeria one of the most insecure places on the earth. In fact, it is leading to a failed nation.
“I commend the government for their efforts so far, but there is a need to do more, and all leaders must come together to join hands and fight this. In the South-East, there is a need for the governors to come together to be able to tackle it.
“Even in economic agenda, I want to see the South-East governors work closely more. We want to see them come together and also bring together other groups in the zone,” he added.