“I Want Nobody To  Beg FG For My Release” – Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB Leader

By Charles Igbo

Detained Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, has forbidden anybody to plead for his release from the Federal Government.

Kanu, who has been under the custody of the Federal Government since 2021 when he was renditioned extraordinarily by the FG, from Nairobi, Kenya, is being prosecuted at a Federal High Court, Abuja, on allegations bordering on sundry issues, including treasonable felony. But a couple of Courts, including the Federal High Court has discharged the IPOB Leader of those allegations and ordered for his release. That notwithstanding, the FG has continued with his trial, insisting that Kanu has not been discharged and acquitted of all the allegations made against him.

However, quite a number of notable  people and groups, including Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, SE National Assembly Members and more, have asked, and pleaded with the Federal Government to release the embattled IPOB Leader from custody. They insist that only a political situation would resolve the issues. Former President Muhammadu Buhari had made promises of Kanu’s possible release a couple of times, but failed to do so.

Now, Kanu has let it be known that nobody should beg anybody to release him. All he wants, he said, is for the FG to obey Court Orders and release him accordingly.

Kanu’s stand on his release was conveyed in a statement issued by his lead Counsel, Alloy Ejimakor on Saturday, February  8, 2024 after a visit to Kanu on Friday.

The statement released by Ejimakor reads:

“The matter of releasing Nnamdi Kanu is not act of mercy, pardon, executive clemency or even amnesty. Instead, it should be an act of complying with subsisting Federal High Court judgement that declared his detention as unconstitutional or even the extant international tribunal decisions that separately declared his detention as unlawful. Alternatively, the decision to free him from detention and discontinue his infamous prosecution can be made by simply resorting to the constitutional provisions that empower the Attorney General of the Federation (on the directive of the President) to discontinue any prosecution.

“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he  has committed no crime. Self determination, which is the real issue that got twisted to suddenly become a high crime, is an inalienable right guaranteed under the laws of Nigeria, the United Nations, the United Kingdom and Kenya. Thus, the perverse and unlawful criminalization of his exercise of this right should not be unwittingly be encouraged through some misguided appeals for pardon, clemency or mercy. Thus, releasing Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy or pardon but an act of abiding by the rule of law.

“In 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 Nnamdi Kanu to a prosecution or trial that does not comport with the tenants of the Constitution and Nigeria’s treaty obligations.

“Instead of begging, those desiring his release should emulate the language and tact used by Afenifere, Ohaneze, World Igbo Congress (WIC), ranking members of the National Assembly, American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self Determination (based in America), the international community and a host of others who have made it clear that Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law. If truth be told, it is Nigeria’s executive branch which extraordinarily renditioned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that should show contrition for resorting to extraordinary rendition, which is a State crime under international law and the common 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.”

Kanu was brought back from Nairobi, Kenya, during a visit  to that country, under  circumstances his legal team has described as extraordinary rendition. He has, since then, been under detention and prosecution by the Federal Government.

Recently, he asked the trial Judge, the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako, to recuse herself from the case. Nyako complied and returned the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. But the CJ refused the recuse and returned the file to Nyako.

On Friday, 7th February, 2025, Nyako’s Court asked Kanu to appear in Court on Monday 10th February.

It is to be seen if Kanu, having asked the Honourable Judge  to recuse herself, would agree to appear in Court, or, if he does, would cooperate and allow his trial to proceed.