We, the members of the American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), having been at the vanguard of demanding justice for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu since his infamous rendition in June 2021, now wish to publicly address Ndigbo as follows:
1, It is time for all Ndigbo worldwide, individually and collectively, to strongly and publicly demand the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since it has become crystal clear that the courts are incapable of dispensing justice or upholding the rule of law in this matter.
2, In particular, we call on all Southeast Leaders in elective positions at home and in Abuja, especially the five Southeast Governors, to fulfill their several public promises and commitments to approach President Tinubu to seek the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. For this reason, we earnestly call on the Southeast Governors Forum (SEGF) to, without further delay, meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this matter. Any further delay could be construed as evidence that all Southeast Governors are complicit in the continued incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
3, We have it on good authority that the Chairman of Southeast Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, is somewhat reluctant to deploy the platform of SEGF to meet with President Tinubu on this matter. His unwillingness we gather, stems from the fact that he is afraid that the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will abruptly end the insecurity in the region and Imo State in particular and thus end the “special security intervention fund” he is receiving from the Federal Government of Nigeria purportedly to fund his controversial Ebubeagu. On this, we strongly urge Governor Hope Uzodimma to walk-back and put the lives of Ndi Imo and Ndigbo above any fleeting monetary gains from this security intervention fund he is receiving from the Federal Government. It is far better to have a freed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu helping to secure our people than using Ebubeagu that is known to be adding fuel to the fire of insecurity in our land.
4, If it is true, as we have been told that some Southeast politicians, particularly one of the Governors is blocking the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because of his fear that Mazi Kanu will scuttle his ambition to become a Vice President of Nigeria either in 2027 or beyond, we say to such politician that a free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will have neither the motivation, nor the interest to block the ambition of any Igbo that wishes to be a Vice President of Nigeria. And AVID is committed to seeing that no such interference will occur because we know that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is apolitical and has no interest in engaging in who becomes what in Nigeria’s political landscape.
5, In the same vein, all Southeast Leaders that come in contact with the heads of
Security Agencies in Nigeria should impress on them to eschew their seeming reliance on the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a subterfuge for padding security votes for Southeast which they directly benefit from. We make bold to say that it is unconscionable for any true security chief driven by patriotism and respect for sanctity of human life to block the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, knowing fully well that a free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is critical to ending the insecurity in Southeast, once and for all.
6, To the Southeast civic Leaders, such as Ohaneze, traditional rulers, the clergy and frontline civic groups, we say this: If the Southeast Governors Forum proves unwilling to meet with President Tinubu in the coming days, we urge you all to promptly convene a group that will seek an immediate appointment to meet with President Tinubu to end this madness in our land. Given that Ndigbo recently lost the President of Ohaneze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, we call on the Obi of Onitsha (the Agbogidi) to convene a small group of eminent Chiefs and the Clergy that he will lead in meeting with President Tinubu.
7, To Governor Alex Otti, we are minded to suggest that if all others prove reluctant or dilatory in meeting with President Tinubu over this matter, Your Excellency should rise to the occasion and go lone-wolf in meeting with President Tinubu with only one request: release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before 25th December 2024. We are suggesting this as the next best option because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a native of Abia and thus deserving of all the protections and comfort he can get from his Governor.
While we eagerly await our Southeast Leaders to gird their loins and accomplish the task of freeing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before Christmas, we assure them of our highest esteems for their persons and offices.
Signed:
