The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has called on South-East governors and federal lawmakers to urgently intervene over the worsening health condition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the group urged the region’s political leaders to appeal directly to President Bola Tinubu for Kanu’s release, warning that further delay could come at a great cost.
The call comes ahead of Friday’s ruling on Kanu’s no-case submission in his terrorism trial. FENRAD expressed concern that the IPOB leader’s detention continues despite several court rulings, while reports from custody suggest his health has significantly deteriorated.
“His right to life and health must be respected,” the group said, accusing authorities of medical neglect and stressing that government has a constitutional and moral duty to prevent his death in custody.
FENRAD urged Tinubu to show statesmanship by directing the Attorney General and relevant judicial authorities to review the legal process with a view to facilitating Kanu’s release under strict legal conditions. It argued that such a move would help de-escalate tensions in the South-East and open the door for peace-building.
The advocacy group also reminded South-East lawmakers that their silence could be interpreted as complicity, warning that true representation requires defending the rights and welfare of their constituents regardless of political sensitivities.
