Northern coalition faults UN call for release of Nnamdi Kanu

…… ask FG to release Kanu through legal means

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Friday, condemned the United Nations’ call for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

CNG also said that the United Nations explicit show of preference to some sections of the Nigerian society with greater bias whenever matters arising from or affecting the northern part of the country are placed before it.

Spokesman of CNG’s, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, stated this at the press briefing in Abuja and urged the United Nations to immediately withdraw the call for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu from the lawful custody of the Nigerian authorities.

The coalition called on the Federal Government to maintain the sanctity, dignity and integrity of Nigeria to defend its sovereignty by resisting and rejecting demands from any quarter.

He said: “It is unacceptable to Nigeria and Nigerians, and in particular to the North, that the United Nations will endorse the platform and space to be used by Kanu and IPOB in promoting anarchy and campaigning for genocide in Nigeria.

“Demand the United Nations to direct all member nations where Kanu, IPOB and other authors of mindless violence and separatism find comfortable cover to perpetuate an agenda that fans the embers of discord, call for war and violence in Nigeria, to take action in line with their domestic laws on hate speech and international laws on war and genocide instead of accommodating them.

“We call the attention of the United Nations and our friends in the international community to understand that bilateral friendships are guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace and the standards that guide legitimate interference.

“Caution the United Nations that their intervention, exclamations and actions should never be drawn to discountenance the effort of the Nigerian state to protect citizens from violence and to impose law and order.

“It is important to caution the United Nations to weigh the impact and consequences of backing these perpetrators of indiscriminate violence, wanton destruction and collective mayhem, that fervently hope it will engulf the entire country and bring about another civil war and mass killings and suffering of innocent people.

“By far, a destabilized Nigeria will certainly threaten the peace and security of entire sub-Saharan Africa. As the most populous country on the continent and one that continues to influence peace and stability across the sub-continent, any breakdown of law and order will only compound the security and humanitarian situations in the region,” he said.

The group, therefore, calls on the United Nations and Nigeria’s international friends to join in the effort interrogating these unwarranted cases of Kanu and IPOB transmitting messages of hate and propaganda that have so far caused the destruction of many lives and property, further polarized Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional lines, sowing deeply a discord that will take ages to undo.

According to him, “let it also be clear that just like every democracy around the world, Nigeria will not allow its citizens to be threatened by either internal or external aggression; these are clear provisions in Nigeria as they are under international law.

“Both the 1966 ICCPR and other international conventions are clear on the legality of restricting violent assembly and on enforcing the law to protect the right of others, to ensure national security, and to guarantee public safety and public order.

“We, therefore, caution that what our friends in the West will not condone upon their country and citizens, they should not condone the same to be perpetrated against other people and countries”.