The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Friday said the planned visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State would be instrumental to the unconditional release of the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu from DSS custody.

The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, warned youths from the southeast zone to stop any action that will truncate the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.

The group stated that those opposing the planned visit of President Buhari to Ebonyi State are incapable and incompetent of carrying out such rogue operations, adding that if they fail, it will lead to their own extinction and disastrous cessation of existence and relevance.

The statement reads in part: “Any attempt to obstruct, thwart or hinder the planned President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Ebonyi State will have disastrous consequences on the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and destroy the efforts of Igbo leaders, led by Pa Mbazulike Amaechi and religious leadership in Igboland, as there are no forces and opposition to hinder the rights of a sitting President of a country from visiting any section of the country under his territory and jurisdiction.

“And those opposing the planned visit of President Buhari are incapable and incompetent of carrying out these rogue operations and if they fail, it will lead to their own extinction and disastrous cessation of existence and relevance.

Ohanaeze, however, urged the leadership of IPOB to stop any attempt or action that will warrant President Buhari to decline in actions that will lead to the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.

“IPOB shouldn’t give credence to the antagonism and friction of Northern groups like Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Coalition of Northern groups and Arewa Youths that President Buhari shouldn’t release Nnamdi Kanu, because this imbecility and absurdity will make President Buhari to decline in actions that will lead to the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

“Ndigbo will welcome President Buhari to Ebonyi State in line with Igbo traditional culture and norms of welcoming esteemed visitors. This is another window of opportunities for the ongoing persuasive engagement with President Buhari by Ndigbo, to grant amnesty and Presidential pardons to all Ipob/ ESN and other Biafran agitators including Nnamdi Kanu and others who are languishing in numerous detention facilities across the country.”

The group also tasked the southeast governors to do everything possible to ensure that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is secured as soon as possible.

“Southeast Governors led by Governor Umahi will secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu and others in Abakiliki. We have implicit confidence that the southeast political leadership and Igbo leadership led by Ohanaeze Ndigbo will seal the deal and facilitate the release of Nnamdi Kanu. It’s predestined that Abakiliki is the venue where Ndigbo will secure the release of all detained freedom fighters including Nnamdi Kanu.”

“IPOB should without further delay rescind and withdraw the earlier decisions to obstruct the planned Presidential visit to Ebonyi State and disown the earlier provocative statements or unless that they want Nnamdi Kanu to remain in detention till the end of the year 2023 when another President will succeed Buhari.

“IPOB should apologize to Pa Mbazulike Amaechi and Southeast Governors for ignorantly hampering and thwarting their diplomatic and tactful efforts to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu, as diplomatic ways remained the best approach to ensure that President Buhari will keep his previous promise to look for a political solution to the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB should end all hostilities and resort to prayers and traditional ordinances until Presidential pardon and amnesty is given to all Biafran agitators,” the group stated.