Nollywood actor and Labour Party chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, claims ethnic bias is responsible for the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In an interview on Arise Television on July 3, Okonkwo argued that Kanu has not committed crimes worse than other separatists whose cases have been dismissed. He cited examples of Sunday Igboho, the Yoruba nation agitator, and Boko Haram members, who he said have been released and reintegrated into society.
"Nnamdi Kanu has not done anything that others from different zones haven't done. We know about Sunday Igboho of the Yoruba nation agitator. We know of Boko Haram members who want a separate country and reject Western education. These people have been released and even given jobs. Why is Nnamdi Kanu's case different? There's an ethnic and unnecessary bias keeping him in jail," Okonkwo stated.
He urged the government to release Kanu, either conditionally or unconditionally, pointing out inconsistencies in the legal proceedings against Kanu. He mentioned that various court levels have granted bail or dismissed charges against Kanu, indicating that the government has multiple legal avenues to release him and bring peace to the South-East.
"Nnamdi Kanu is now more like a political prisoner. The longer he stays in prison, the more his stature grows, while the government's diminishes," Okonkwo added.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his extradition from Kenya in June 2021, facing terrorism charges at the federal high court.
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