Chinedum Elekwachi
Nigerian Consultative Forum (NCF) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate statesmanship and fatherly leadership by granting unconditional amnesty to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
NCF Chairman, Dede Uzor, and Secretary-General, Dr. Frank Udemadu, in a statement said the call was necessitated by prevailing security situation across the country and the enormous influence both men command in their respective regions.
The group argued that their release would ease tensions, reduce insecurity and open a fresh pathway for peace.
“It would be recalled that before the detention of DCP Abba Kyari who voluntarily submitted himself for over four years now, he had been in the forefront of hunting down hardened criminals and terrorists.
“Some of the criminals were bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers and other advanced criminal activities in different parts of the country,” Uzor stated.
The group described Kyari as one of Nigeria’s most resourceful and gifted security operatives.
Kyari’s unusual gallantry
He recalled his past efforts in combating violent crimes, including notorious kidnapping cases, terrorist cases, and armed robbery operations.
“DCP Kyari’s release would help him to bring his enormous and professional knowledge as security czar to engage these bandits and terrorists holding the country especially northern Nigeria hostage, a feat he proved beyond reasonable doubt when he was in office.
“For four years, the nation couldn’t produce a replacement that could do 30 percent of what he was doing,” the group noted.
On Nnamdi Kanu, the forum said his prolonged detention has deepened resentment and tension in the South East, fueling the unrest being witnessed in the region.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has a lot of admirers and supporters who are still aggrieved by his continued detention.
“The current wave of insecurity in some parts of the South East could be attributed to the continuous detention of the Biafran leader,” the group noted.
Calming frayed nerves
The NCF further stressed that Kanu’s release would immediately calm frayed nerves, restore confidence and reduce violence.
“Kanu, on his part,” the group added, “would call those his supporters to order, and in the next 24 hours of his release, the entire South East would be quiet.”
Both men, the group emphasized, have been detained for nearly five years and should, by now, have been granted either amnesty or freedom, given that they have overstayed any supposed jail terms.
The group further asked Tinubu not to allow detractors and politicians who see their release as tools of propaganda and an avenue to swindle the nation for their personal financial gains.
“History will write your name in gold if they are unconditionally and unequivocally released,” NCF insisted.
