Students and youths of Enugu State, the former capital of the eastern region, have called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed terror group IPOB.
Speaking through one Prisca Okeke, the Chairperson of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Enugu State chapter, at a press conference attended by the student leadership of all tertiary institutions in the state, they described Nnamdi as their father adding that his detention has stirred discomfort.
The STAND OF NANS ENUGU CHAPTER ON THE SIT AT HOME. COMR PRISCA OKEKE ( GCESS) PRESS RELEASE pic.twitter.com/RVUiY4QZAQ
— HECTOR PHEONIX. OKENWA (@hectorokenwa) July 23, 2023
“The continuous detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a matter that stirs discomfort right at the heart of the Igbo nation. As Igbos, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is our father, our brother, and our kinsman. But beyond all that, as students we have become the grasses that suffer while the elephants fight,” said.
The youths’ position indicates strong local support for Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, despite the various acts of terror committed by the group, including arbitrary movement restrictions enforced with brutal violence.
Some Nigerians have questioned the sincerity of the easterners in improving the security situation of the region with the continuous show of support and solidarity for the criminal actors responsible for the killings and abductions devastating the region.