The global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a Prisoner Of Conscience following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria “without proper documentation for doing so and long incarceration and detention… in DSS custody.
This was contained in a press release issued by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful.
Emma Powerful recalled that in 2015, Nnamdi Kanu was “arrested and subjected to egregious violation of his fundamental rights”.
He noted that following his “miraculous escape from the military invasion of his home in 2017, he was abducted in Kenya and renditioned to Nigeria in June this year” and has been in DSS detention in Abuja ever since then.
He, therefore, informed “the world, mostly civilised countries and Africa continent that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is fighting for the freedom and self-determination of his people because under the United Nations Charter, to which Nigeria is a signatory, self determination is not a crime”.
He said: “Under the African Union Charter. to which Nigeria is a signatory, self-determination is not a crime.
“Under the Laws of Federation of Nigeria, particularly Article 20, CAP A9, self-determination is not a crime.
“As a matter of fact and law, self-determination is recognized as a right, both domestically and internationally.
“Above all, self-determination is a political opinion, which is recognized as a fundamental right under the Nigerian Constitution.
“Its a matter of public record that hundreds of concerned citizens exercising their rights to peaceful protest, protested the incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu but were massacred in cold blood by Nigerian security services.
“Many more were arrested without trial. Some disappeared and have never been found till today.”
According to him, during the military invasion of his residence, known as Operation Python Dance, Kanu was almost killed save for his miraculous escape.
He will later be “kidnapped by the Nigerian government in Kenya and subjected to extraordinary rendition to Nigeria against his will and against all norms and rules of international law”.
In both instances, the IPOB scribe insisted, ‘he committed no offence known to law but only advocated self determination for his people and all oppressed peoples in Nigeria’.
“He did so peacefully by articulating the decades of oppression, marginalisation, inequality, Apartheid, brutality and genocide to which his people and all oppressed peoples in Nigeria have been subjected.
“And in light of those grievances he demanded a referendum on self determination and self rule for the indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and all aggrieved groups and lovers of freedom.
“In doing so he bore no malice nor hate against any group.
“He only demanded self determination as enshrined in the African charter and the United Nations charter both of which Nigeria is signatory.
“In peacefully articulating the grievances of an injured and oppressed people and in seeking self determination for all such peoples; Nnamdi Kanu broke no law within or outside Nigeria,” he maintained.
Emma Powerful also insisted that IPOB remained a peaceful organisation devoid of any hate or violence and totally committed to its aims and objectives through peaceful democratic means as recognised by international law.
Taking cognizance of the above, he therefore, declared Nnamdi Kanu a “Prisoner Of Conscience”.
Justifying his course, he said: “We do so because like Nelson Mandela, he broke no law nor committed any offence.
“He only advocated freedom for his people from decades long Apartheid level oppression and tyranny.
“We use this opportunity to put the world on notice to ongoing extrajudicial detentions, persecution and widespread human rights violations in Nigeria.
“In the same vein, we call on the United States, the great state of Israel, the European Union, the African Union, the United Nations, Amnesty international, Human rights watch and all lovers of freedom to intervene before it’s too late.”