The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the judiciary to prevail on the Nigerian Government to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Comrade Emma Powerful, the Media and Publicity Secretary for IPOB, made the call in a press release issued on Thursday.
In the statement entitled “Nigerian courts must protect the sanctity of the institution of judiciary by ordering for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, stated unequivocally that the rendition of the IPOB leader from Kenya to Nigeria since June last year till date is a violation of his fundamental rights.
He said: “The criminal abduction, torture, illegal detention and unlawful transfer of great Leader- Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria constitutes a natural bar to any prosecution or his further detention in DSS solitary confinement.
”Extraordinary rendition is a serious crime under international law. No civilized nation in the world, more so, those under common law system of justice, condone kidnapping and extrajudicial transfer of suspects across international borders, without the authority of law grounded in an extradition process.
“Nigeria court must protect sanctity of the institution of judiciary by ordering for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on the face of the fundermental violations of international and local laws by Nigeria Government in the abduction and extraordinary rendition of our great leader and prophet Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“A plethora of judicial pronouncements from the US to Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and even South Africa under the apartheid regime, are uniform in their condemnation of extraordinary rendition.
“Ironically, the present Attorney General of Nigeria, is also against Extraordinary rendition but it appears only so, when it concerns people from his Fulani tribe like the one concerning dubious police officer, ACP Abba Kyari, who America intelligence demanded from Nigeria to US.
“This Government’s hypocritical stance was demonstrated in the case of disgraced/suspended ACP Kyari, who was allowed to undergo extradition proceedings in Abuja to contest a US warrant of arrest issued against him.
”But our Leader, being of the Igbo ethnic stock, was denied the same due process of law in Nairobi Kenya.
“If an obnoxious regime like the erstwhile apartheid regime in South Africa can be compelled by their own apartheid Appeal Court in Pretoria, to recognize the illegality of Extraordinary rendition, we therefore implore Nigerian Courts here in Abuja to prevail upon the present regime to release our great Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu without further hesitation or delay.”
He noted that the Nigerian Government can amend and proffer new charges indefinitely but that “the fact of the matter remains that no court in Nigeria has the authority or jurisdiction to try… Nnamdi Kanu”.
According to him, the Nigerian Government is in material breach of a plethora of laws and conventions both municipal and international.
He, therefore, urged Nigerian courts to send an unequivocal message that “Executive lawlessness and prosecutorial banditry cannot be tolerated in a constitutional democracy as pretentiously practice in Nigeria”.
Emma Powerful insisted that Nnnamdi Kanu should be released unconditionally without much delay and hesitation.