The Senate has rejected a motion to release the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu from the detention.
The motion which was moved by Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West) sought to address the constant sit-at-home order enforced by unknown gunmen in the South-East.
The lawmaker, in the motion co-sponsored by other lawmakers from the South-East, noted that the senators were aware that thousands of innocent lives had been lost since the action started, and properties worth over a trillion had been destroyed resulting in investors leaving the region.
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He said, “The sit-at-home civil disobedience actions in the South-East have led to the disruption/destruction of economic activities and immeasurable financial losses for businesses, workers, and the local economy. Because, when people are forced to stay at home and businesses remain closed, productivity declines and income is reduced, affecting livelihoods and economic growth.
“The “sit-at-home” protests disrupt the education of students, leading to missed classes and delays in academic progress. And such prolonged disruptions have long-term effects on students’ learning outcomes and educational development; Disturbed that disruption of essential public services, such as healthcare, transportation, and waste disposal, continues to have a severe impact during “sit-at-home” protests which adversely affect the well-being and safety of the general population living in the South-East.”
However, the Senate rejected pleas for a political solution to the case of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), especially the withdrawal of all cases against him pending in courts.
Senators in their contributions rejected the motion when they were put to voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio, in his contribution, noted that the South-East governors were not doing enough to curb the situation.
“What have the various State Governments in this region done to stop this menace? Because this is localized, if the criminals are arrested and paraded, the citizens would know that the government is working.
“If the Governor of the state himself observes the sit-and-home and the civil servants who work for the government also sit at home. The criminals would be empowered.”
He insisted that it is time the menace is curbed to ameliorate the suffering of the people of the area, saying the action is causing fear and hunger in the country.
Senate further observed a minute silence in honour of persons who lost their lives as a result of the activities of the sit-at-home proponents.
Recall that IPOB had in August 2021 declared a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South-East to protest the continued detention of Kanu. The separatist group eventually suspended the order.
However, the leader of a faction of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has continued to declare sit-at-home orders in the region despite the exercise being suspended by the IPOB faction led by Kanu.
Residents of the five South-East states: Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra have constantly been killed, maimed and attacked by gunmen enforcing the civil order for stepping out on Mondays and other days in violation of the order.
