Igbo women demand immediate release of Kanu’s brother, lawyer, other protesters

…Say Nigeria under APC becoming worse than military dictatorship

By Steve Oko

Igbo women under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, have demanded immediate and unconditional release of Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; Kanu’s special Counsel, Chief Aloy Ejimakor; and other peaceful protesters arrested by the police during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja on Monday.

This is as they lamented that Nigeria under the watch of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, “is becoming worse than military dictatorship”.

National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who spoke with Vanguard, described the arrest of innocent protesters as “impunity taken too far”, and called on the Inspector General of Police, to order their immediate release.

Arguing that peaceful protest is an inalienable right of citizens, the IWA President advised the Federal Government against using security operatives to quell peaceful agitation.

Noting the unrest in the South East and parts of South East regions following Kanu’s continued incarceration, Lolo Chimezie advised against any action capable of aggravating the already tensed situation.

The IWA President advised those in power against stoking the the embers of unrest through abuse of power, “to avoid things getting out of control”.

Lolo Chimezie who said she participated in the Abuja march recalled her ugly experience when security operatives fired tear gas canisters at the peaceful protesters.

She strongly condemned the manhandling of the protesters and warned Government against “pushing Nigerians to the wall.”

Insisting that no amount of intimidation will stop people from voicing their views, IWA urged government to rather engage citizens with a view to addressing their grievances.

She said:”We voice our frustration on the behaviour of security operatives in Abuja today during the free Nnamdi Kanu protest.

“They manhandled protesters. I was at the rally. And I was directly teargassed. At a point, live ammunition was also fired. That’s very wrong. A number of protesters including Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel; and lawyer, Ejimakor were arrested.

“We call on the police and other security agencies, to release every protester they arrested because it’s our constitutional right to protest.”

IWA expressed surprise that”the APC which is a product of protests does not want to hear about protests anymore”.

“Let’s also remind the ruling APC that during the build-up to the 2014 election, it led a lot of protests against the then PDP-led administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, and Jonathan never used federal might against them. They sponsored a lot of propaganda against Jonathan and nobody harassed or clamped down on them.

“We advise President Tinubu-led federal government to retrace its steps on the way it is handling dissenting voices. This is not the first time the administration is clamping down on protesters after benefiting immensely from protests.

“President Tinubu should know that the APC government under his watch is becoming worse than military dictatorship.

“He should not take the people for granted. It will not be fair to push Nigerians so hard against the wall because doing so could lead to a situation that government may not manage.

“Government should negotiate with the protesters and listen to people. Nnamdi Kanu has done nothing to justify his unending persecution.

“President Tinubu should call security operatives to order and stop clamping down on innocent citizens voicing their frustrations. All those arrested should be released together with Nnamdi Kanu before things get out of hand “.

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