Catholic Bishops urge Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu for peace, economic prosperity, security in South-East

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to exhaust all available civil remedies to ensure the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

According to the Bishops, Kanu’s release will be in the region’s best interest, as it would guarantee security and return of full economic activities.

The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji, made this plea during the episcopal ordination of the Auxiliary Bishop of Orlu Diocese in Imo State on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Ugorji stressed that the IPOB leader’s release would clear the path to economic prosperity and restore security in the South-East.

He noted that his continued detention is the biggest factor responsible for the breakdown of security in the region, and the Monday sit-at-home has paralysed the economy, causing businesses to lose billions of naira every week.

The call comes barely 24 hours after an Abuja Federal High Court denied Kanu’s bail application in a suit against him by the Federal Government.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, ordered an accelerated hearing of the case involving the embattled IPOB leader.

Kanu, who was present in court on Tuesday, is standing trial for charges bordering on treasonable felony.

He has been in the Department of State Services (DSS)’s custody since his arrest and repatriation to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021.