Peter Obi calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has called on the Nigerian government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr. Obi, former governor of Anambra State, stated this while speaking to newsmen in Onitsha on Saturday, according to a report by Punch newspaper.

The LP candidate said there was no reason for the continued detention of the IPOB leader given that a Nigerian court had previously acquitted him, although that acquittal was overturned by the Supreme Court.

“I see no reason for him to remain in detention, especially since the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the courts.

“The rule of law is an intrinsic good that we must value and respect. I take this opportunity to ask the federal government to ensure that all those who find themselves in similar conditions are released and talked about,” he said.

“We are in a democracy and we should not do things that are arbitrary and not within the law.”

This is not the first time Obi has publicly called for Kanu’s release.

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In March 2017, the former governor called on the Nigerian government to release the IPOB leader and stop the use of force in the fight against Biafran agitators.

Insecurity in the southeast

Obi lamented the growing insecurity in the southeast and other parts of Nigeria and said leaders should redouble their efforts to address the situation.

He expressed fear that if nothing was done to address insecurity in Nigeria, the country could become a failed nation.

“It is worrying what is happening in Nigeria with the news of murders, kidnappings and other vices that have made Nigeria one of the most unsafe places on the planet. In fact, they are leading to a failed nation.

“I commend the government for its efforts so far, but more needs to be done, and all leaders need to come together to join forces and fight this. In the Southeast, governors need to come together to tackle this,” he said.

“Even on the economic agenda, I want to see the governors of the Southeast work more closely together. We want to see them come together and also bring together other groups in the area.”

Background

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on October 13, 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action constituted a violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a violation of his fundamental human rights.

The court therefore quashed the terrorism charges brought against Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the SSS premises.

But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) might not be available in subsequent court proceedings if he was released, and that his release would cause insecurity in the south-east, where he is from.

Subsequently, the government, through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order suspending the execution of the court ruling before the Supreme Court.

Delivering judgment on the appeal on December 15, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr. Kanu by the lower court and accordingly ordered the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court had repeatedly dismissed Mr Kanu’s bail applications.

Meanwhile, several Igbo leaders, including Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, separately called for Kanu’s release. But the government ignored the calls.