IPOB: Why FG must release Nnamdi Kanu, lawyer explains

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — A member of the legal team representing the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Onyedikachi Ifedi, has renewed calls for the Federal Government to release his client, arguing that the continued detention has no legal basis.

In a statement titled “The real theatre is in Abuja, not IPOB”, Ifedi maintained that Kanu’s arrest and repatriation from Kenya in June 2021 contravened both domestic and international legal procedures.

He referenced the Court of Appeal judgment in FRN v. Kanu (CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022) delivered on October 13, 2022, which held that the manner of his rendition violated his fundamental rights and therefore nullified the charges.

According to him, “The Court of Appeal made a binding pronouncement on the illegality of the rendition. Once jurisdiction is affected, the proper legal order should be a release.”

He also argued that the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013 under which Kanu is being tried has been repealed by the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, insisting that “any charge predicated on a repealed law cannot stand.”

Quoting past judicial precedents, Ifedi said the government has not proven any acts of violence directly linked to Kanu, stressing that the allegations mostly centre around speeches and broadcasts.

“Expression of opinion, even if unpopular, is protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.

He maintained that any appellate discharge of Kanu legally signifies acquittal, adding that attempting to reopen the case could amount to double jeopardy, which is constitutionally prohibited.

Ifedi urged the Federal Government to respect the rule of law and release Kanu in the interest of justice, peace, and national reconciliation.

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