Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, has stated that no one should plead for the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, insisting that he has committed no crime and should be freed based on legal rulings.
“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime,” Ejimakor said in a statement titled “Upholding the Rule of Law Is More Important to Me Than Anything Else”, issued on Saturday.
According to Ejimakor, both a Federal High Court in Nigeria and international tribunals have declared Kanu’s detention unlawful, making his release a matter of legal compliance rather than mercy or clemency.
“The matter of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy, pardon, executive clemency, or even amnesty,” he stated. “Instead, it should be an act of simply complying with the subsisting Federal High Court judgment that declared his detention unconstitutional or even the extant international tribunal decisions that separately declared his detention unlawful.”
Ejimakor warned that appeals for clemency could be misinterpreted as an admission of guilt, potentially emboldening authorities to continue what he described as an unjust prosecution.
“As much as those calling for his release are sincere, their calls for pardon or clemency may be misconstrued as a green light to the executive branch or even the courts to violate the rule of law by continuing to subject Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a prosecution or trial that does not comport with the tenets of the Constitution and Nigeria’s treaty obligations,” he added.
Instead of pleading, Kanu urged his supporters to adopt the firm stance of groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze, and the World Igbo Congress, who insist he has committed no crime.
“Instead of begging, those desiring his release should emulate the language and tact used by Afenifere, Ohanaeze, the World Igbo Congress, ranking members of the National Assembly, American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent, Ambassadors for Self-Determination (based in America), the international community, and a host of others who have made it clear that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law,” the statement read.
Ejimakor further asserted that it is the Nigerian government that should “show contrition” for Kanu’s extraordinary rendition, which he described as a violation of international law.
“If any begging must be done, it should be directed to the courts to conduct his cases and that of IPOB with the utmost impartiality and adherence to the rule of law, equity, and good conscience,” he added.
Kanu also expressed appreciation for those working to restore “security, tranquillity, and good order in his beloved Igboland.”
His statement comes days after Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urged President Bola Tinubu to facilitate Kanu’s release as part of efforts to restore peace in the South-East. Meanwhile, Kanu is set to appear before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja for a hearing on Monday, following his request for the case to be transferred to the South-East if no judge in Abuja is willing to handle it except Justice Nyako.
