…“Stop Begging for My Release, I Committed No Crime” – Nnamdi Kanu
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been put on hold indefinitely.
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja made the ruling on Monday after Kanu and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, insisted that she no longer had the authority to hear the case. They argued that her previous decision to step down from the trial meant she had no jurisdiction.
Back in September 2024, Justice Nyako had recused herself from the case after Kanu’s defence team requested it.
The case was transferred to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho. However, Justice Tsoho later sent the file back to Nyako, stating that a formal application was required before her recusal could be valid.
With this latest ruling, Kanu’s trial remains in limbo, and it is unclear when or if the proceedings will resume.
Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu has urged those calling for his release to stop pleading with the government, insisting that he has done nothing wrong.
Speaking through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu stated that his agitation for self-determination is not a crime but a constitutionally protected right.
He stressed that his release should not be seen as an act of mercy but a matter of legal compliance.
“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime,” Ejimakor said in a press statement.
He further explained that self-determination is an inalienable right under Nigerian law and international conventions.
“The perverse and unlawful criminalisation of this right should not be encouraged through misguided appeals for pardon or clemency. Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy but a matter of abiding by the rule of law,” the lawyer stated.
Kanu expressed gratitude to groups working towards peace in Igboland but warned that begging for his release might be seen as validating the government’s actions against him.
Ejimakor also called on supporters to follow the example of groups like Afenifere, Ohaneze, the World Igbo Congress, and other international bodies that “have made it clear that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law.”
He accused the Nigerian government of violating Kanu’s rights through his extraordinary rendition and called on the judiciary to remain impartial.
“It is Nigeria’s executive branch, which extraordinarily renditioned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that should show contrition for resorting to this state crime under international and common law,” Ejimakor said.
He maintained that Kanu’s release should follow legal rulings that have already declared his detention unlawful.
“The matter of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy, pardon, or amnesty. It requires simple compliance with the Federal High Court judgment that declared his detention unconstitutional or adherence to international tribunal decisions that separately declared his detention unlawful.”
He further noted that the Attorney-General of the Federation has the constitutional power to discontinue the prosecution at the President’s directive.
Kanu remains hopeful that justice will prevail, but for now, his fate remains uncertain.
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