Group, cleric rally FG to IPOB leader’s release
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has given the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, till November 5 to defend the terrorism charges against him or waive his right to do so.
The Judge pleaded with Kanu to consult with legal practitioners conversant with criminal laws to aid his defence, or opt for a lawyer to handle his case.
The decision followed Kanu’s persistent refusal to present his defence to the terrorism charges on the grounds that there was no valid charge against him.
The IPOB leader, who had announced he would defend himself yesterday, told the court that he would not return to detention unless the charges against him were clearly presented to him.
Kanu maintained that his detention at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility was illegal and unlawful because he had not been found to have breached any known law.
He accused the court of violating the Supreme Court judgment that condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya and demanded that the Judge must unfailingly and immediately discharge him.
When reminded that the Supreme Court remitted the case for a fresh trial, he insisted that the terrorism charge against him was incompetent, invalid and illegal.
Citing Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, Kanu said that there was no written law on the offence of terrorism in Nigeria today; hence, there was nothing for him to defend.
After much persuasion and his insistence on not defending the charge, Justice Omotosho, in a brief remark, shifted the hearing till November 5 for Kanu to either enter his defence or waive his right to do so.
Meanwhile, the Igbo Political Network (IPN) has added its voice to growing calls for the release of Kanu, insisting that freeing the IPOB leader would significantly reduce security tensions and help restore lasting peace in Igboland.
The group argued that Kanu’s continued detention, despite multiple court rulings in his favour, amounts to injustice and “an act of wickedness.”
The President of the Network, Alex Okemiri, expressed concern that Kanu has spent over five years in detention after his rendition from Kenya under the late President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The group said both nationally and internationally, Kanu’s prolonged detention is seen as a deliberate attempt to suppress his fundamental human rights and a signal that the Igbo are treated as second-class citizens.
They questioned why Kanu remains in custody while “known criminals, terrorists, bandits, drug barons, and murderers” are granted freedom.
IPN further alleged that some Igbo political leaders are working against Kanu’s release for selfish reasons.
Also, a United States–based Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Augustine Odimmegwa, has called for the immediate release of Kanu, insisting that his continued detention violates both Nigerian and international law.
Fr. Odimmegwa, who serves as the Coordinator of Rising Sun, a US-based nonprofit organisation, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday, condemning what he described as a “shameful abuse of justice” surrounding Kanu’s prolonged incarceration.
