Kanu’s Arrest: Canadian Minister, Soyinka Drag FG

By James Orji

A top Canadian official, Kelechi Madu has condemned the manner of arrest of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government.

Madu who is the Minister of Justice of the province of Alberta, Canada said the arrest fell below international standards.

He made the assertion on the crest of Professor Wole Soyinka’s comment, that the manner of arrest of the IPOB leader could end up embarrassing the Buhari administration.

The minister of justice and the Attorney General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, said the IPOB leader, who is now being tried for treasonable felony and other serious offences, was intercepted by Nigeria security forces and Interpol. He, however, did not mention the exact location where Kanu was arrested before his repatriation to Nigeria, few days ago.

Kanu lawyers said he was picked up in Kenya, though the Uhuru Kenyatta government has denied such suggestions.

Reacting to the IPOB leader’s arrest, the Canadian official said the manner of his arrest fell short of international democratic standards, adding that the international community must sanction the Nigerian government for breaking international law.

He also described Malami as unfit for his position as the nation chief law officer, noting that he’s a disgrace to his profession.

He said if reports that Kanu was abducted from Kenya were true, Malami was not only a disgrace to the rule of law but also not worthy to be a public officer.

Madu said “The Attorney General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami is a disgrace to the rule of law, and not worthy to be an officer of the court. He has shown himself to be a bigot who does not understand what it means to live in a pluralistic society governed by the dictates of the rule of law,” he wrote.

He urge the international community to punish Nigeria for violating international best practices in the manner Kanu was repatriated to the country.

Madu also  said, “Nigeria is burning, and the people of Nigeria, except those who are holding the country down, wants out. You cannot destroy the hope and aspiration of a people destined for greatness and expect them to bow down in servitude. You cannot destroy a generation of people and expect them to not fight for their freedom.

“The power of guns, state-sponsored terrorism will not achieve peace or the preservation of Nigeria.

“The Igbos and other ethnic groups in Nigeria who are calling for Nigeria to be renegotiated do not seek violence or war. They seek peace. They seek progress and the advancement of their people. They seek fairness, safety, equity, and justice for their people. They seek the opportunity for their children to grow up and achieve their God-given abundant potential.

“They seek the rise of a people with the work ethic, intellect and capacity to be a truly global superpower on the continent of Africa. They seek dignity over inhumane treatment. They seek life over death.

“Friends of the black world must unite and liberate the people of Nigeria from this bondage and from the claws of corrupt and inept politicians who have no business being near the corridor of Nigeria’s political power.”