The Nigerian Senate has vehemently turned down a motion seeking to release the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The motion which was moved by Senator Osita Izunaso, member representing Imo West sought to tackle the perennial sit-at-home order enforced by some criminal elements in the Southeast.
The lawmaker, in the motion co-sponsored by other lawmakers from the region, noted that the senators were aware that thousands of innocent lives had been lost since the action began, and properties worth over a trillion had been destroyed resulting in investors bolting out of the region.
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.”
Meanwhile, the sit-at-home exercise was initially introduced by the separatist movement to protest against the extraordinary rendition of its leader Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya in 2021.
But IPOB later cancelled it when Simon Ekpa, a Finland based criminal hijacked and continued to enforce it with his armed militia.
Mr Ekpa was recently arrested and released by the Finnish authorities after being interrogated
