ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Benue Concerned Citizens (BCC) has declared its full support for rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who has vowed to mobilize Nigerians for a nationwide protest if the Federal Government fails to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore had earlier threatened to lead a nationwide protest starting October 20, demanding the release of Kanu, who has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja since June 2021 following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Chairman, Michael Oboh, and Secretary, Chief Chris Awo, the BCC said it was ready to mobilize Benue youths to join the protest “until Kanu is unconditionally released.”
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The group described Kanu’s prolonged detention as “an act of profound injustice that we will no longer tolerate.”
According to the statement, “We are not alone. The voice of reason is growing louder across the nation.
“From the calls of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the planned mass protests by citizens, the message is unified and clear: Release Nnamdi Kanu.”
BCC also criticized what it called the “endless adjournments” in Kanu’s trial, accusing the Federal Government of insensitivity for failing to consider the IPOB leader’s deteriorating health condition.
The group demanded Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release, and an end to what it termed political persecution against the IPOB leader.
“The state-sponsored repression of voices advocating for self-determination and equity must cease,” the statement read.
Condemning Nigeria’s disregard for both domestic and international law in handling Kanu’s case, the group said, “The flagrant disregard for judicial decisions is the hallmark of a dictatorship, not a democracy.”
The BCC issued a strong warning, insisting that it would not remain silent if Kanu is not released.
“If Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not released immediately, we will mobilize and join the nationwide protests en masse. We will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with every Nigerian who values justice over tyranny. This is not a request. It is an ultimatum!” the group declared.
The BCC described itself as a grassroots movement committed to justice advocacy, human rights, and democratic principles for the people of Benue and Nigeria as a whole.