IGBO traditional rulers and religious clergymen have issued a joint statement calling on the federal government to honour the recent Federal Court of Appeal judgement which called for the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Last Thursday, Nigeria's Court of Appeal declared Nnamdi Kanu's detention illegal and unlawful and quashed the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, the criminal charges by the federal government against Mr Kanu were thus voided and set aside.
According to the court, the federal government, having flagrantly breached the fundamental rights of Mr Kanu, lost the legal right to put him on trial. Also, the court held that laws are meant to be obeyed and that the federal government has no reason to have taken laws into her own hand in the illegal and unlawful way the matter of Mr Kanu was handled.
However, Abubakar Malami, Nigeria's attorney-general, has hinted that the federal government will not release Mr Kanu but would rather file fresh charges against him. He added that Mr Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted and the federal government will consider all available options on the judgment on rendition while pursuing determination of pre-rendition issues.
In a swift response, the South East Council of Traditional Rulers and Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops On Peace and Conflict Resolution issued a statement asking the federal government to respect the judgement of the court. Their statement was signed by several prominent traditional rulers including of Onitsha, Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, who is the chairman of Anambra State Council of traditional rulers.
Others personalities who co-signed the statement include Reverend Dr Chibuzo Opoko, the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia; Igwe Ambassador LOC Agubuzu, the chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and Most Reverend Dr Valerian Okeke, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha. According to the group, in the recent past, it has undertaken extensive and intense behind-the-scenes consultations with all stakeholders to broker a permanent, regionally coordinated restoration of the southeast to the status as the most peaceful and progressive sub-national zone in Nigeria.
Their statement read: “We welcome this judgement and assert that the wisdom of the Appellate Court presents a timely and an unprecedented opportunity to overcome the challenge of trust that has obstructed the path to peace. It also opens the window to winning the hearts and minds of the people.
"We therefore unequivocally support the call for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in line with the unanimous judgement of the court that his extradition and subsequent trial was illegal, and the lower court had no jurisdiction to hear the case. This joint body has been consistent and persistent in its call for all stakeholders to not relent in the pursuit of peace-building and resolution of security challenges in the southeast, based on justice, equity, fairness, love, mutual understanding, and respect of all persons.
“In furtherance of this, we have also supported the call for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government to douse the current tensions across the southeast and create an atmosphere for collaboration towards a constructive resolution of the issues.
“In conclusion, the march towards peace and the restoration of normalcy in our society and economy requires the collective action of all people of God. We are confident that all Nigerians will rise to the summons of history and act with courage, conviction and integrity.”