IPOB to Buhari: Kanu’s health deteriorating, release him now

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

 

Indigenous People of Biafra, (lPOB), said Wednesday, that it was no longer comfortable with the continued detention and deteriorating health condition of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

 

Making this disclosure through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, it expressed worry that the International Community kept silent over the Kanu saga, describing their silence as unfortunate.

 

“We express our displeasure on the silence of the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), African Union (AU), and ECOWAS as Nigeria grossly disobeys Local and International laws regarding the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We are saddened as the International Community watches in silence as the health of our leader deteriorates in the solitary confinement dungeon of the Nigerian government where he has been held illegally and unlawfully against all UN and Nigeria court orders for almost two years.

 

“The world should also know that Justice Haruna Tsammani who corruptly granted an order asking the Government not to obey the court of Appeal Judgment to release him in the guise of a stay of execution which is unknown to our judicial system, is the same person chairing the panel of Presidential election petition tribunal in Nigeria, how sure he will render justice in Nigeria.

 

“Any time his case is coming up either here in Nigeria or outside Nigeria, they, Nigerian Government will sponsor multiple killings in the South East so as to ascribe it to IPOB and people will see IPOB as a terrorist organization.

 

“Both his application to transfer him to Kuje correctional center and application for his bail were all ripped for hearing but Supreme court failed to hear them and give bench ruling, showing that they are being controlled by the Fulani government,” he stated.

 

He recalled that in June 2021, Kanu was abducted, detained, and tortured in an undisclosed private residence in Kenya by Nigeria secret agents, and after eight days, he was blindfolded and extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria at gunpoint in a chattered flight by the Nigeria government.

 

According to the spokesman, Kanu has arraigned in court blindfolded without legal representation and inspite of all these high levels of provocations, IPOB has remained peaceful and chose the part of the law to seek justice for Kanu.

 

He said also that in July 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitration ordered the Nigerian government to unconditionally release Kanu with payment of adequate compensation.

 

“On October 13, 2022, the Appeal Court of Nigeria quashed all pending charges, discharged and acquitted our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The same Appeal Court barred Nigeria’s government from arresting, detaining, or arraigning him in any Nigeria court for similar offenses.

 

“A similar judgment was given in favor of Kanu by Umuahia  High Court on October 26, 2022. The Umuahia High Court ruled that the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Kanu was unlawful. The Court ordered Nigeria’s government to return him to Kenya, apologize, and pay him N1 billion, as compensation. The Nigerian government has flagrantly disobeyed all the court orders, including UN orders.

 

“That shows that the Nigerian government is a pariah state where the rule of law is no longer obtainable. We believe that the Nigerian government wants our leader to die in detention. It is also possible that DSS has given him a slow-acting poison, which is why his health keeps deteriorating to eventually kill him.

 

“In what we consider a conspiracy to kill our leader, the Nigeria Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court refused to entertain an appeal from Kanu’s lawyers over his deteriorating health. Instead, the Apex Court gave a wicked long adjournment of four months to an innocent man that Appeal Court Justices have discharged and acquitted.

 

“In all these human rights and court abuses, there seems to be a conspirator silence among international organizations and her affiliate Human Right Organizations.

Kanu’s continuous illegal detention and torture even after the UN Working Group ordered his release like  Nigeria Appeal Court discharged and acquitted him, shows that Nigeria is now above the Local and International Laws.

 

“As the health of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, continues to deteriorate and the Nigerian government refuses to obey lawful orders and the World maintains this criminal silence, IPOB will do all within our power to ensure that our leader does not die in detention. Freedom to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the freedom of the entire black race. Mazi NnamdivKanu is not a criminal. He is not a terrorist, nor has he been associated with Nigeria treasury looting, which Nigerian politicians are known for. His only crime is a demand for the freedom of the oppressed Biafrans from Nigeria.

 

” Self-determination is an inalienable right of Indigenous peoples under the UN charter. The Nigeria government is persecuting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for holding a different political view in his demand for a Biafra referendum and self-determination,” the spokesman maintained.