Director of Gregory University, Uturu, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, has urged the Federal Government to grant a presidential pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, saying national reconciliation should complement security efforts to address Nigeria’s persistent insecurity.
Ndu made the call on Tuesday while speaking at the First Daily National Dialogue on Security, organised as part of activities marking First Daily Media Network’s sixth anniversary, in Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria has reached a stage where healing divisions and fostering dialogue have become critical to restoring lasting peace and national unity.
“I reiterate the amnesty proposal and the need to grant pardon to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. I am not a member of IPOB, but it has come to a period in our life when we must mend some fences so that we can reason together so that our country can move in the same stream,” he said.
Ndu maintained that while perpetrators of violent crimes, including banditry, kidnapping and other atrocities, should face justice, the country must also explore avenues for reconciliation to address grievances capable of fuelling insecurity.
His remarks come against the backdrop of Kanu’s prolonged detention and sustained calls by political leaders, traditional rulers and socio-cultural organisations in the South-East for a political resolution to his case. The region has, in recent years, witnessed recurring insecurity, separatist agitation and the enforcement of sit-at-home orders, which have disrupted economic and social activities and heightened concerns over public safety.
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It would be recalled that successive administrations have adopted dialogue and amnesty initiatives to address different security challenges, including militancy in the Niger Delta. Similar calls for political engagement have also featured prominently in national conversations on resolving tensions in the South-East.
Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s history, Ndu recalled the devastating human toll of the Civil War, saying the country must avoid policies that deepen divisions and instead pursue measures that strengthen national cohesion.
The university director also advocated a community-based approach to security, arguing that citizens living in affected communities possess valuable information that should inform government policies and security operations.
He urged authorities to strengthen community policing and create platforms that enable Nigerians at the grassroots to contribute ideas toward tackling the country’s security challenges.