Obasanjo denies discussing Nnamdi Kanu’s release with south-east governors

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says the release of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the table when he met with governors of the south-east region on Tuesday. 

Governors under the aegis of the south-east governors’ forum resolved to meet with President Bola Tinubu on Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo and chairman of the forum, listed a planned “engagement” with the federal government on Kanu as one of the resolutions reached at the Enugu meeting.

Obasanjo had also paid a solidarity visit to the south-east governors forum on the day.

In a statement issued through Kehinde Akinyemi, his special assistant on media affairs, Obasanjo said the meeting he held with the governors revolved around “regional development issues”.

“The regional development issues include that of security and infrastructure. Others were economic and cooperative/collaboration, which was meant to complement the national economic development agenda,” the statement reads.

“The meeting with them was at my invitation and of Chief Emeka Anyaoku before their summit begins. The issue of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the agenda and was not discussed in my presence,” Obasanjo was quoted as saying.

Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his extradition to Nigeria in 2021. He is standing trial on charges bordering on treasonable felony and was denied bail in May.