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Aloy Ejimakor, the legal representative for Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in detention as the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has pressed President Bola Tinubu to act in accordance with the directives of the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group.
Ejimakor pointed to the significance of implementing the order, which demands Kanu’s release, as a demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to international human rights obligations.
Ejimakor warned President Tinubu against replicating the actions of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who dismissed the United Nations’ orders regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
He argued that honoring the directive would distinguish Tinubu’s leadership and stressed a break from past practices that undermined Nigeria’s international credibility.
The attorney for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader, made this known through a formal statement on Saturday. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June 2021, with his prolonged detention raising questions about legal and constitutional processes.
In July 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council, through an influential directive from its Working Group, urged then-President Muhammadu Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu. The statement marked a turning point, placing international pressure on Nigeria’s government to address alleged rights violations.
In addition, the group urged the ex-president to establish measures that would provide Nnamdi Kanu with appropriate compensation, particularly for the controversial manner of his arrest and forced return from Kenya to Nigeria. The recommendation reflected the UN’s emphasis on accountability and justice in such cases.
Read also: Nnamdi Kanu Finally Meets Legal Team As DSS Lifts Restriction
Referring to the order on Kanu’s freedom, Ejimakor said the Federal Government was bound by the directives and orders from international laws and treaties because of the country’s membership.
Ejimakor said, “Nigeria is duty-bound to implement this decision in its black letters and spirit. And it was expected to do so promptly.
“Nonetheless, it is never too late to act, even as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has, for three and half years, endured the horrendous rigours of a detention that is bereft of any legal justification.”
The lawyer called on Tinubu to free Kanu, saying the president did not need any court order to let the IPOB leader regain his freedom.
