The Northern Elders Forum, NEF has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to release detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from custody.
Recall that Buhari after a meeting with the Southeast elders promised to consider a lighter resolution but worried that such would interfere with the principles of separation of power between the Executive and Judiciary.
The forum in a statement signed by the Director of Publicity, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said there are no safe grounds for president Buhari to grant the request.
”Nnamdi Kanu’s release will do serious injury to Nigeria which is already threatened by security and other challenges, the statement said.
The Northern elders advised Buhari to follow a judicial process and allow Kanu’s trial run its course.
Part of the statement read, ” We have carefully studied the request of Igbo Elders for President Muhammadu Buhari to terminate the trial of Nnamdi Kanu and release him unconditionally. It has also noted President Buhari’s response which both raised very weighty issues related to the request and his commitment to consider it.
“The Forum notes that there are no safe, constructive or informed grounds for granting the request, and advised that President Buhari will do serious injury to a country already threatened by multiple challenges to its security and territorial integrity if he delays announcing the only responsible response, which is that the judicial process in the case of Kanu must be allowed to run its course.”
