A group of elders from the Old Eastern Region in Nigeria recently visited the ancestral home of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, seeking divine intervention and the assistance of the United Nations (UN) in securing his release.
The elders, who came from the nine states of the defunct Eastern Region, engaged in intensive prayers at Kanu’s home in Afaraukwu Ibeku Umuahia, Abia State. They surrounded the grave site of Kanu’s late parents, HRH Eze Israel and Ugoeze Kanu, and prayed for divine intervention in Kanu’s case.
Kanu was arrested and extradited from Kenya in June 2021 and has since been detained at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS). His family and lawyers have challenged his arrest and continued detention, but the federal government has refused to release him.
During a press briefing after the prayers, Bishop Dr Yek Honeys Kings read from a prepared text, jointly signed by Chief Agonsi Ebere and Aniekan Ekanem, on behalf of the elders. The text appealed to the international community to urge the Nigerian government to release Kanu in accordance with the United Nations Opinion and various court judgments ordering his unconditional release.
The statement expressed concern about Kanu’s health, stating that he is gravely ill with three life-threatening conditions – serious heart conditions, hypertension, and low potassium levels – that require specialist medical care and complex medical intervention. The elders regretted that the federal government had turned down every request for independent specialist medical attention for Kanu, and urged the international community to intervene urgently.
In conclusion, the elders called on the Nigerian government to comply promptly with the United Nations Opinion, particularly as it pertains to the unconditional release of Kanu from detention.
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