By Ayegba Joseph
The Supreme Court has upheld the charges of treason and terrorism against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and ruled that he should remain in custody. This has prompted many leaders from the South-East and beyond to seek a political solution to the legal deadlock.
The apex court reversed the earlier verdict of the Court of Appeal that had
ordered the Federal Government to free the IPOB leader from detention.
Before the Supreme Court ruling, several prominent individuals and groups had
demanded Kanu’s unconditional release and supported the appellate court’s
decision. Among them were the governors of Anambra and Enugu states, Chukwuma
Soludo and Peter Mba respectively, Professor Pat Utomi; Ambassador Bianca
Ojukwu and Jarvis Johnson, a Democratic member of the Texas House of
Representatives.
Other supporters of Kanu’s release were Ohanaeze Ndigbo, World Igbo Congress
(WIC), and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
They had claimed that Kanu’s prolonged detention had aggravated the security
situation in the South-East and the whole country.
Kanu was first apprehended by security agents in Lagos on October 14, 2015, and
has been in detention since June 29, 2021.
He fled the country after breaking bail conditions and went into exile
following an alleged military assault on his father’s residence in Afaraukwu,
Umuahia on September 10, 2017.
Meanwhile, he was forcibly brought back to Nigeria to face the charges of
treason and terrorism, among others.
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