By Akinwale Kasali
The family of Nnamdi Kanu, detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has expressed concern over his continued incarceration by the Nigerian Government.
The Family lamented that Igbo Leaders have left Kanu to languish in the detention.
In a Statement signed by Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the family further alleged that selfish politicians benefiting from the insecurity in the South East region of the country, are behind the continued incarceration of the embattled IPOB leader.
Reacting to the recent refusal of the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant Kanu bail pending the determination of the charges against him, the family, wondered why it had become so difficult for Igbo political elites and leaders to book an appointment for an audience with President Bola Tinubu to discuss the matter, nearly one year after this administration came to power.
“How is it that nobody among Igbo political leaders have reached President Tinubu to discuss Nnamdi Kanu’s release almost a year he came to power?
“Is it not deliberate? Have they not been gaining access to the President concerning other issues? It is a shame that Kanu is being punished for asking for the freedom of Ndigbo and the leaders have abandoned him to die in DSS custody.
“Kanu is terribly sick and nobody cares! His health is deteriorating everyday. He has not changed his clothes. Why has the Court continued to hold him at DSS custody instead of Correctional Centre?”
The family insisted that some people are benefiting from his continued incarceration hence the apparent apathy on the part of the political elite to engage the President for his release.
“Why can’t they go for his release if they truly love the South East? Something is definitely wrong somewhere. They are benefiting from his continued detention, and that is why they are not making any serious move to engage Mr President. Don’t forget that some people sponsored his abduction and extraordinary rendition.
“Why should he be abandoned for asking the freedom of Biafra? He didn’t take up arms against government but he was tagged a terrorist. Yet the same government is busy releasing terrorists from detention.”
The family has, however, vowed to expose the beneficiaries of their son’s continued incarceration and the insecurity in the South East region.
“Nobody dies with any secret. Very soon all those behind Kanu’s continued detention will be exposed. Those benefiting from the insecurity in the South East are the ones enjoying his continued stay in detention. But nothing lasts for ever. One day they will be out of power.”
The family said it was dismayed that Kanu, who assisted in getting justice for illegally detained inmates, has been left to suffer alone.
“Kanu has single-handedly funded the release of inmates from different tribes who were unjustly detained while he was at Kuje prison last time. Why should he be now abandoned to rot in DSS custody?.”
Kanu’s family said it wondered if the trial Judge, the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako, took time to go through the certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgement that referred the case back for trial, noting that the apex court stressed that the defendant’s initial bail ought not have been revoked.
According to the family, if truly the trial Judge had digested the Supreme Court’s judgement, she would not have refused the bail application.
Kanu’s family maintained that the IPOB leader “is never afraid of standing trial,” but regretted that “the conditions they subjected him to, do not guarantee justice.
“Why can’t they allow him to change his clothes? Why will they keep him in DSS custody for years instead of sending him to Kuje Correctional Centre where he can have access to his doctors?
“Has the Court bothered to know if its orders are obeyed by the DSS? The way Kanu is being humiliated and handled does not show fairness. The Court should not create the impression that its acting a script,” the statement further read.
