The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdurosheed Akanbi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant presidential amnesty to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, as part of efforts to promote national healing and unity.
The monarch made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Ibrahim Alli, saying the Federal Government should consider further reconciliation measures to address lingering grievances linked to the Nigerian Civil War.
Oba Akanbi commended the Tinubu administration for an inclusive approach to governance but urged the President to take additional steps towards reconciliation by considering Kanu’s release.
He said, “Lingering resentment among some members of the Igbo community over the civil war should be addressed through deliberate healing, dialogue and reconciliation.
“The post-war frustration being nursed by Igbos cannot be easily healed.
“While I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reintegration process as unprecedented, I call for further historical steps such as granting a presidential amnesty to the incarcerated leader of the Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.”
The Oluwo, who proposed the establishment of a panel to address historical grievances and promote reconciliation, argued that healing the wounds of the Igbo community would contribute to national healing.
“A panel can be set to address the healing of the Igbos. The healing of the Igbos is a healing to Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
Oba Akanbi likened the lingering effects of the civil war to post-traumatic stress, noting that communities affected by conflicts could continue to experience psychological and social consequences long after wars had ended.
He said the deaths recorded during the Nigerian Civil War had left deep wounds, adding that reconciliation and dialogue were necessary to address the historical grievances associated with the conflict.
The monarch acknowledged that Kanu’s actions had attracted serious consequences but urged the President to consider the wider identity and history of the Igbo people when deciding his fate.
“I acknowledged the magnitude of Kanu’s excess that warranted his imprisonment. I appeal to the president to consider the identity of his tribe, not an individual,” Oba Akanbi said.
He suggested that Kanu could be cautioned and counselled before any release, expressing hope that the IPOB leader would reject violence and promote peace among his people.
Oba Akanbi stressed that his appeal was not intended to encourage protests but to urge the Federal Government to pursue measures capable of strengthening national reconciliation and unity.
“I am not calling people for protest but making an holistic appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to honour the tribe by releasing Nnamdi Kanu.
“There must be love for one another in this country. Nigeria is divided along tribal attachment because of the past experience. We must stop nursing old wounds. The time is ripe to heal the wound,” he added.