The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has agreed to meet the Nigerian government’s conditions for his release.
This information was revealed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who led a delegation of 14 South-east senators to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
According to Senator Abaribe, Kanu has expressed his support for the initiative and is willing to fulfill the agreed-upon conditions for his early release, according to Premium Times.
Speaking to reporters shortly after his Wednesday meeting, the senator said the IPOB leader supported the move to initiate an agreement with the government for his release.
“On behalf of the caucus (of senators from the South-east), I met with Nnamdi Kanu myself on Monday between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and he is very supportive of this our plea to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
Asked if Mr Kanu would heed the agreements that might be reached with the government, he responded: “Everybody is willing. He (Kanu) has also assured me that he is ready to fulfill any conditions that will lead to his early release.”
However, Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, has clarified that his client’s acceptance is subject to the “negotiated terms” reached in August 2017, and not “any conditions” as previously reported.
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Mr Ejimakor suggested that Mr Kanu did not accept to abide by just “any condition” for his release.
The lawyer said he and other members of Mr Kanu’s legal team visited him on Wednesday.
“The news that he (Kanu) will abide by ‘any conditions’ for his release is incorrect.
“What was meant is that he will abide by the ‘negotiated terms’ of his release and on other matters related thereto, such as was also agreed in August 2017,” he said.
This development comes after Kanu’s controversial detention and trial, which has sparked widespread protests and calls for his release. The Nigerian government’s conditions for his release remain undisclosed, but this breakthrough raises hopes for a possible resolution to the longstanding issue.