An Igbo socio-political group called ‘Nzuko Umunna’, comprising prominent leaders from the Igbo ethnic group, including former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Chukwuma Soludo, and former Presidential Aspirant, Pat Utomi, has alerted that the country was in a state of  emergency and urges the ruling party to deliver real change.

The group also demanded the immediate release of the leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Addressing the media on behalf of the group on Tuesday in Abuja, Soludo described Kanu’s continued detention as unlawful, while also condemning the killing of IPOB members in the South East.

The former CBN Governor was joined at the press conference by Utomi, former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Sam Amadi and other Igbo leaders.

“We visited Nnamdi Kanu to hear his own point of view as well as share our own point of view with him,” Soludo read out from a statement issued by the Igbo group.‎

“We demand the urgent release of Nnamdi Kanu, and his colleagues as part of the process of engineering a new Nigeria.

“No citizen of Nigeria deserves the treatment that is being meted to Nnamdi Kanu and his colleagues‎.

“Nnamdi Kanu is not above the law, and he should not be put below the law.”

The group criticized FG’s penchant to disregard court rulings, adding that government’s attitude of obeying only “favourable court rulings” is unhealthy for the peace of the country.

The statement noted that “Nigeria has the potential to be great, and like most countries has its own challenges”, but added that the country “has never been more divided than now.”

It further read: “Most discerning patriots have come to the conclusion that Nigeria, as currently structured is destined to be a failed state‎.

“It is our considered view that most of the agitation is in response to a looting elite. We do not condone violence.

“We note that in 2015 Nigerians voted for change. As the ruling party, the APC has a duty to deliver to the Nigerian people.

“So far, APC seems to have abandoned its cardinal duty to Nigeria.‎ We are in a state of emergency at all levels.”

Nnamdi Kanu is undergoing treason charges by the federal government.

He had been granted bail on many occasions but the government has refused to release him.