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AVID Urges UK PM Starmer to Secure Nnamdi Kanu’s Release from Nigerian Detention
The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) have called upon the newly elected British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to press the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In their appeal, AVID has urged Starmer to facilitate a comprehensive review of Kanu’s situation and advocate for his release from what they describe as a “Nigerian dungeon.”
The organization highlighted Kanu’s deteriorating health and the inadequate medical care he has received while in detention.They pointed out that Kanu was apprehended in Kenya in 2021 and subsequently transferred to Nigeria through what they term an illegal extraordinary rendition.
Since then, Kanu has been held in solitary confinement by the Nigerian Department of State Security Services (DSS).
In a statement issued by AVID’s president, Sylvester Onyia, and Secretary Godson Obiagwu, they also extended their congratulations to Starmer for his victory in the UK general elections on July 5, 2024.
The statement praised Starmer’s forward-thinking approach to British colonial impacts on Africa, especially regarding Nigeria.
AVID, a non-profit organization consisting of U.S. veterans of Igbo descent, emphasized their non-affiliation with any political party and their commitment to democratic processes.
They condemned the treatment of Kanu and expressed their concern over his severe health issues, noting recent reports of his illness and the denial of access to medical care.
The organization implored Starmer to expedite the review of Kanu’s case and to advocate for his release, asserting that a call for a referendum should not be equated with violence or conflict.
They expressed hope that Starmer’s leadership would bring about Kanu’s freedom from what they view as cruel and inhumane conditions imposed by the Nigerian authorities.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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