Three Reasons Why We Are Not Releasing Nnamdi Kanu –  Malami

By Gideon Njoku

Even though Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has secured a series of victories in his case with the Federal Government, including the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which discharged and acquitted him of terrorism charges, lashed the Federal Government for what it called the illegal abduction of Kanu from Kenya, as well as the judgment of the Federal High Court Umuahia  on Wednesday, which ordered the Federal Government to send Kanu back to Kenya, and awarded the sum of N500m against the FG, the chances of Kanu being released is very remote.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said the thought of Kanu’s  release, based on the judgments, should be perished.

According to Malami, there are three reasons why the FG is still holding unto Kanu, and would continue its prosecution of the IPOB Leader.

Malami  said that the release of Kanu cannot be based on the judgment on the extraordinary rendition alone because he had other cases pending against him before the rendition.

Said Malami: “To release or not to release Nnamdi Kanu is a function of law and the rule of law for that matter. In arriving at a decision on whether to release or not release is one: You look at the rule of law. Two, you look at the public and the national interest. Three, you look at the security situation. Four, you look at international diplomacy.

“Let me talk first on the rule of law. This is someone that had been granted bail on account of charges that have been preferred against him at the Court. Someone jumping bail to the international community. A case of a fugitive is established against the background of jumping the bail.

“Two, arising from the national security, this is someone that is charged with treason, incitement and destruction of civil authority, murder and assassination of others on account of his incitement that boil down to issues of national security and criminality.

“Three, on account of international diplomacy, that we have against his person, he used the international community or a foreign country to launch an attack against a nation, against his nation for that matter.

“So, all these naturally come into play to determine what to do. So, if you have, through judicial processes, established multiple cases of treason, homicide, bail- jumping among others, the fact that you have, indeed, succeeded in one case as against multiple others that are pending goes to establish the fact that that case cannot be the only basis and criteria for determining whether you are entitled to be released or not.”

Malami’s latest stand is a huge disappointment to Kanu’s legal team led by Mike Ozekhome, SAN, IPOB members and Ohanaeze Ndigbo who had hoped that the Federal Government would use the window offered by the Court judgements to release Kanu, especially, as it has been argued that Kanu did not deliberately jump bail.

He was forced to escape from the country when Federal Troops, inexplicably, invaded his father’s palace where he was enjoying the freedom of his bail.

Kanu was brought back to Nigeria from Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2021 while he was on a trip to that country from London where he resides. He has a dual citizenship of Britain and Nigeria.

Since he was brought back, he has been in the custody  of the Department of State Services, DSS, where the Court ordered him to be remanded.