The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has renewed its call for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), describing his continued detention as unjust and a stain on the country’s judicial system.
In a statement issued over the weekend in Enugu by its national publicity secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group urged President Bola Tinubu to use his constitutional powers and diplomatic influence to release Kanu “in the spirit of equity, fairness, and inclusive justice.”
Kanu was arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and extradited to Nigeria, where he has remained in detention for four years.
Part of the statement read: “The question of Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention poses a moral burden on the corporate integrity of the Nigerian judicial system.
“The world is watching the extent to which the Nigerian authorities are willing to procrastinate the imperative of releasing Nnamdi Kanu.”
Ohanaeze argued that Kanu’s arrest and rendition from Kenya were unlawful and questioned the legality of his prolonged trial and incarceration.
“Since his process of extradition from Kenya is unlawful and the basis for his arraignment questionable, one wonders the rationale for detaining Kanu for four years without justice,” Chukwu said.
The group maintained that releasing Kanu would demonstrate President Tinubu’s commitment to national healing and inclusive governance, especially in the South-East region.
