Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group has declared his innocence noting that he has committed no crime.
Kanu who was arrested in 2021 by the Nigerian Government spoke through his lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, urging those clamoring for his release not to beg for it, asserting that his agitation for self-determination is a constitutionally protected right and not a crime.
Kanu noted that his release is a matter of compliance with existing court orders, not an issue of presidential pardon or clemency.
Ejimakor, in a press statement, said, “Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime.
“Self-determination, which is the real issue that got twisted to suddenly become a high crime, is an inalienable right guaranteed under Nigerian law, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and Kenya.
“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.”
Kanu expressed appreciation for those genuinely committed to restoring peace in Igboland, while cautioning that appeals for pardon might be misconstrued as legitimizing executive or judicial violations of his rights.
Ejimakor further stated, “Instead of begging, those desiring his release should emulate the language and tact used by groups like Afenifere, Ohaneze, the World Igbo Congress (WIC), ranking members of the National Assembly, the American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), and other international bodies who have made it clear that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law.”
He also criticised the Nigerian government’s handling of the matter, urging the courts to maintain impartiality:
“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.”
“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.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation, under the directive of the President, can constitutionally discontinue the prosecution. Kanu remains hopeful for a resolution rooted in justice and lawful governance,” the statement read.
