The Ohanézè Ndígbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has made an appeal to President Buhari to grant a presidential pardon to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This is to enable Kanu to attend the burial of his parents which is scheduled to take place next weekend.
Sally Kanu, Kanu’s mother, passed away in August 2019, while his father, His Royal Highness Israel Okwu Kanu, the traditional ruler of Afara Ukwu Umuahia community, died in December 2019. Kanu has been on self-exile since 2017 following the invasion of his Umuahia, Abia state country home by the military. He is currently standing trial for treason.
The President General of OYC, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and its Secretary, Okwu Nnabuike, released a statement expressing their concerns about the military presence around Kanu’s parents’ premises in preparation for the funeral. They emphasized the potential damage that such a military presence could cause to the Buhari administration’s international image.
The group urged President Buhari to remove the military presence and grant a presidential pardon to Nnamdi Kanu, allowing him to return and bury his parents according to Igbo tradition and culture. Additionally, they extended an invitation to President Buhari to attend the funeral or send a high-power delegation as a gesture of goodwill.
According to the OYC, these actions, including the release of other Biafra agitators in detention, would be well-received by the international community and Nigerians. They believe that these gestures would restore confidence in the Buhari administration and provide a sense of belonging to the Igbo community.