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The lawyer representing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has stated that no one should plead for his client’s release, as he has committed no crime.
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s legal counsel, relayed this in a statement titled “Upholding the Rule of Law Is More Important to Me Than Anything Else”, issued on Saturday.
Ejimakor asserted that Kanu’s release should be based on legal compliance rather than an act of clemency or pardon.
According to the statement, Kanu appreciated the widespread calls for his release but maintained that both a Federal High Court in Nigeria and international tribunals had declared his detention unlawful. He insisted that the government must adhere to these rulings and release him unconditionally.
“The matter of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy, pardon, executive clemency, or even amnesty. Instead, it should be an act of simply complying with the subsisting Federal High Court judgment that declared his detention unconstitutional or even the extant international tribunal decisions that separately declared his detention unlawful,” the statement read.
Ejimakor further conveyed Kanu’s stance that his case is not one requiring clemency, as he believes he has committed no crime.
“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime. Self-determination, which is the real issue that got twisted to suddenly become a high crime, is an inalienable right guaranteed under the laws of Nigeria, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and Kenya,” the statement continued.
“The perverse and unlawful criminalisation of his exercise of this right should not unwittingly be encouraged through some misguided appeals for pardon, clemency, or mercy. Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy or pardon but an act of abiding by the rule of law.”
Kanu’s lawyer also warned that calls for his pardon could be misinterpreted as an admission of guilt, which could embolden the executive branch and the courts to continue what he described as an unlawful prosecution.
“As much as those calling for his release are sincere, their calls for pardon or clemency may be misconstrued as a green light to the executive branch or even the courts to violate the rule of law by continuing to subject Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a prosecution or trial that does not comport with the tenets of the Constitution and Nigeria’s treaty obligations,” Ejimakor stated.
Instead of pleading, Kanu urged his supporters to adopt the approach of groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze, the World Igbo Congress, members of the National Assembly, and international organisations that have insisted he has committed no offence and should be released.
“Instead of begging, those desiring his release should emulate the language and tact used by Afenifere, Ohanaeze, the World Igbo Congress, ranking members of the National Assembly, American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent, Ambassadors for Self-Determination (based in America), the international community, and a host of others who have made it clear that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law.
“If truth be told, it is Nigeria’s executive branch, which extraordinarily renditioned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that should show contrition for resorting to extraordinary rendition—a state crime under international law and common law.
“If any begging must be done, it should be directed to the courts to conduct his cases and that of IPOB with the utmost impartiality and adherence to the rule of law, equity, and good conscience.”
Kanu also expressed appreciation to all those working towards restoring “security, tranquillity, and good order in his beloved Igboland.”
Recall that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, joined calls for Kanu’s release, appealing to President Bola Tinubu to facilitate his freedom as part of efforts to restore peace in the South-East.
The IPOB leader has also been ordered to appear for a hearing on Monday before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja. This follows Kanu’s request for his case to be transferred to the South-East if no judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja was willing to handle it, apart from Justice Nyako.
