Former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has decried the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and others.

Sowore stated this during an interview with newsmen at the protest ground in Ikeja under-bridge, Lagos, on Tuesday.

He also demanded the release of the protesters who were arrested during the #Endbadgovernance campaign.

“We are working together for the release. Part of the reason why we are protesting is to ensure everybody that is in detention illegally, who are being charged with false criminal offenses, including treason which carries a death penalty must be released immediately and thus extend to Nnamdi Kalu who we believed is thus persecuted by the Nigerian state because he has expressed the desire of his people to secede from Nigeria.”

“They have the right to either stay or leave Nigeria. Our preference is that we will not completely prevent anybody from either staying or being in Nigeria.”

He bemoaned over the state of the country, describing the country’s independence as a clog in the wheel of progress, harping on the need for a revolution to deliver the country from he called ‘internal colonialism’.

“We have called on Nigerians to exercise real independence because the Independence that was granted to Nigerians in 1960 has become a burden to the Nigeria citizens and part of the problem in 1960 is that we got flag independence, we did not get real independence, so we are transferred to white colonialists to internal colonialism.”

“We have asked Nigerians to commence the series of actions to get real independence and that starts today. We are very clear that this country needs a revolution. Nothing but revolution can liberate Nigerians from the shackles of people,” he said.

Another protestor, Adeola Ilori, expressed anguish over the state of the country, saying the country’s independence is void of celebration

“I don’t have anything to celebrate. If I am celebrating I won’t be here. I am here to identify with my people to let them know that we can change things,” he said. (Daily Trust)