Nnamdi Kanu: Justice Delayed And Why Nigeria's Supreme Court Cannot Build Castle In The Air

   Nnamdi Kanu: Justice Delayed And Why Nigeria's Supreme Court Cannot Build Castle In The Air

■ Author: Esiaba Chibuihe

■ Twitter:@umuchiukwu

■ 08.11.2023 

Sincerely speaking the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has put the Nigerian judiciary on a global trial. As the whole world awaits Nigeria's supreme court judgment on the stay of execution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's appeal court victory on 15th of December, 2023, we must remind the Nigeria government and her supreme court that the world is not a jungle where any animal can break into another kingdom for hunting in a show of superior power because there is no law and order.

We must continue pointing out the inhumane manner in which Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the leader of IPOB who was travelling with a British passport was kidnapped, tortured for 8 days in Kenya, and was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria. 

In 2021, The United Nations, UN Human Rights Council Group on Arbitrary Detention indicted the Nigeria and Kenya governments for the arrest, torture, extraordinary rendition, and continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The UN working group ordered the Nigerian government to immediately release and compensate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu adequately. After This a communication was transmitted to the Nigeria and Kenya governments, to comply with these directives within six months. 

On the 13th of October 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja observed this illegal abduction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his extraordinary rendition. The court discharged and acquitted him of all the frivolous charges imposed by the Nigerian state, ordered his immediate release, and additionally prohibited the Nigerian government from further prosecuting him in any court within the country. In response, the Office of the Attorney General sought a stay of execution of this judgment at the Supreme Court.

Recall that a federal high court in Umuahia on 26th of October 2022, presided by Justice E. N Anyadike gave a landmark judgment where he declared Nnamdi Kanu's expulsion from Kenya to Nigeria as illegal and ordered his unconditional release, awarding him a five hundred thousand naira damages. 

These judgments comply with international laws on extradition, hence, the office of the Attorney General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, the chief presiding judge, Haruna Tsammani, and the prosecuting lawyer, Tijjani Gazali should not feign ignorance of international and local laws on extradition.

There have been similar cases in the past for reference: On August 29, 2022, when Abba Kyari was wanted in the U.S to stand trial for wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft, a grand jury was filed against him with the approval of the U.S District Court for Central District of California after which a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

When the U.S government demanded Kyari's extradition from the Nigeria government, this same federal government of Nigeria (hypocritically) approached the court for his extradition, the court dismissed the file, stating that Abba Kyari had been docked before a competent jurisdiction in the country (NDLEA vs Abba Kyari), that he can never be surrendered for repatriation until he is discharged either by his conviction or acquittal.

However, this same government refused to go through the normal procedure but resorted to kidnap Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Also in 1984, when the Nigeria/Israeli governments attempted to extraordinarily rendition Umaru Dikko back to Nigeria in a diplomatic bag from the U.K., those responsible were fished out by the U.K. government and punished adequately. The British government went as far as sanctioning the Nigerian government for attempting such a heinous crime.

Unfortunately, in 2021, the same UK government indirectly supported the extraordinary rendition of her citizen Nnamdi Kanu by the Kenya/Nigeria governments. Because of the oil and gas, they are stealing from Biafra land.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB have committed no crime by demanding our right to self-determination which is enshrined under the UN Charter on Indigenous rights. No amount of blackmail, intimidation, and persecution can stop us from getting a free sovereign independent state of Biafra through referendum. 

The earlier The Nigeria/British governments understand this and stop the delay tactics against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafrans, the better for everyone. The Supreme Court can never build a castle in the air and expect it to stand.

 The world expects Nigeria's supreme court to do justice on this case by dismissing this stay of execution appeal by the federal government. The Nigerian judiciary is fantastically corrupt, but this is a little opportunity for the Supreme Court to rekindle the said last hope of the common man redeem the battered image of the contraption called Nigeria, and save Nigeria from an inevitable and looming state of anarchy that might be birthed by a further mishandling of this case. 

Human rights organizations, governments, and lovers of freedom around the world should stand up and say no to any form of state-sponsored intimidation, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are not criminals as confirmed by even the DSS and Nigeria Army through the objective reports.

The Unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra restoration through a UN-supervised referendum or any other means is non-negotiable. Do not forget, 'unity by force is a modern-day slavery', and we have refused to be subjected to modern-day British slavery in the name of One-Nigeria. 

The only thing that can stop IPOB's agitation is Biafra's freedom, nothing else. 

Written By Esiaba Chibuihe

Edited By Ozioma Onwe

For Umuchiukwu Writers.