The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to temper justice with mercy and release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
Kalu made the appeal while addressing the press after the inaugural meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on the South East Development Commission at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The Deputy Speaker commended President Tinubu for his continuous support and commitment to peace, development, and stability in the South-East region. He noted that the president has demonstrated his goodwill towards the region in various ways, including his swift assent to the South East Development Commission Bill, which had failed in previous legislative assemblies.
He stated, “We are begging; you can’t coerce the President; he’s the Commander-in-Chief. All we are saying is use a political approach, not the legal approach. We are appealing to him to temper justice with mercy and release Nnamdi Kanu to Southeast people. It will ensure more security for our people and spring up development that this SEDC is going to bring.”
Kalu emphasised that the release of Kanu through a political approach rather than a legal one would be a gesture the South-East people would deeply appreciate. He expressed optimism that the president would heed their plea, highlighting that Kanu’s release would contribute significantly to reducing insecurity in the region and fostering the development that the SEDC aims to bring.
He said, “Only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was able to put his feet down to say that the South-East remains part and parcel of Nigeria. It failed in previous assemblies, but when it got to him, he assented to it. We are very happy because we know that certain areas of our problems in the region will be prioritised, such as agriculture, energy, power, infrastructure, and technology—we are very innovative people.
“All we need is the support of government to project the innovative-mindedness of the young folks in that region to benefit the entire federation. The next one is the creative industry—how do we look at that? Sports and entertainment need to be taken from where they are to where they ought to be. In agriculture, the whole nine yards, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda on Food Security—that’s what we are looking at.
“What’s happening with these talents? Can’t we have something like Silicon Valley in the East? We can call it Eastern Valley—a hub where creative minds will come together.”
He further stressed that development cannot thrive in an environment plagued by insecurity, adding that addressing the issue is crucial for the success of the SEDC.
“These are areas we are looking at, and with a lot of technology in place, development will spring up. We are thankful to Mr President for doing this for the South-East. You know insecurity is a major concern in the area. You can’t have development in the midst of insecurity.
“That’s why we started what we call the ‘Peace in South-East Project,’ supported by the parliament. But in doing so, we noticed that the insecurity there will be reduced if Nnamdi Kanu is released. We want Nnamdi Kanu to be released because we know it will give our people more security.
“Those who are using him as an excuse to perpetrate all these criminal actions around our area will have no other reason to be on the streets. Then the police and security agencies will catch anyone who claims Nnamdi Kanu is the reason for causing harm to the people of the South-East.”
