OLUWO URGES KANU PARDON TO FOSTER NATIONAL UNITY

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, as part of efforts to promote national reconciliation and unity.

The monarch made the appeal in a statement issued through his Press Secretary, Ibrahim Alli, saying Kanu’s release could help address longstanding grievances associated with the Nigerian Civil War and its aftermath.

Akanbi commended Tinubu for what he described as an inclusive administration and argued that granting Kanu amnesty would further demonstrate the President’s commitment to reconciliation.

He said the post-war grievances of some members of the Igbo community remained difficult wounds that required deliberate efforts to address.

The monarch called for the establishment of a panel to examine historical grievances and promote national healing, arguing that addressing unresolved divisions would strengthen relationships among Nigeria’s different ethnic groups.

He also referred to the long-term psychological effects of war and conflict, saying the consequences of the Nigerian Civil War continued to affect generations.

While acknowledging that Kanu’s actions had attracted legal consequences, Akanbi urged the President to consider a rehabilitative approach, including counselling and caution, if the separatist leader is released.

The monarch stressed that his appeal was not a call for protest but a plea for dialogue, reconciliation and national unity.

He said granting Kanu a presidential pardon could help reduce tensions surrounding separatist agitation and create room for greater engagement between the Federal Government and communities in the South-East.

Akanbi maintained that healing historical wounds was important to building stronger national relationships and urged Nigerians to move beyond ethnic divisions and embrace greater unity.