Pardon Nnamdi Kanu to ease rising tension in south east - S/East Lawmakers

The South-East Caucus in the House of Representatives has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, warning that his continued incarceration is heightening tension and deepening agitation across the region.

The appeal followed last Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on terrorism-related charges. Addressing journalists after a caucus meeting at the National Assembly on Monday, the group’s leader, Hon. Iduma Igariwey of Ebonyi State, said a political and humanitarian intervention under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution was urgently needed to de escalate the volatile atmosphere in the South East.

Igariwey said the region has witnessed severe emotional and social distress since Kanu’s detention, including closed markets, disrupted schooling, crippled commerce and widespread fear. He stressed that presidential clemency could restore normalcy and reduce sporadic confrontations between residents and security agencies.

He noted that Nigeria has a history of relying on presidential magnanimity to heal national divisions, adding that the framers of the constitution provided for such discretionary powers to address complex issues that legal processes alone cannot fully resolve.

According to him, granting Kanu a pardon would send a powerful message of unity, inclusiveness and national healing, and create space for broader engagement between the Federal Government, elected leaders and community stakeholders toward sustainable peace in the South East.

The caucus urged residents of the region to remain calm and law abiding as efforts continue to find a political resolution to the matter, reaffirming its commitment to working with the Federal Government to strengthen national unity and stability.