By Adadainfo
Barr Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written to the head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic
Community of West African States to prevail on Nigeria to allow his client to seek specialized medical attention over his ‘worsening health conditions’.
Ejimakor also wants the two regional bodies to urge Nigeria to comply with the Opinion of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and other judgments which acquitted his client of all charges preferred against him by the Government of Nigeria. The appeal was contained in a letter he personally signed, dated Nov 15, 2022.
In the letter, Ejimakor stressed that Kanu has ‘worsening health conditions’, and requires an independent/specialized attention, and therefore sought the intervention of the EU and ECOWAS to prevail on Nigeria to accord Kanu ‘his human right to seek independent medical care for his ailments’.
Quoting Ejimakor, “Mr Kanu is gravely ill with three life-threatening conditions, namely a serious heart condition, hypertension and low potassium levels. All of these conditions demand specialist medical care and interventions that are not available at the facility where Mr Kanu is being detained. To date, the Government of Nigeria has refused every request for an independent/specialist medical intervention for Mr Kanu.”
The letter also enumerated various court judgments and verdicts of the UN Opinion Group which pronounced that Kanu’s arrest and detention violated his universal rights, including right to self determination. Such verdicts also acquitted Kanu of all charges, but the FG has refused to implement them, he stated.
Recall that the Opinion issued on 20th July, 2022 had recommended the immediate release of Kanu on the grounds that he is agitating for his human rights in seeking the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra.
Ejimakor also referred to the judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria of 26th October, 2022 by the Umuahia (Abia State) Division which stated that Kanu never jumped bail, adding that the Nigerian government disobeyed the ruling which directed it to apologise to Kanu and also pay him compensation.
He also recalled that on 13th October, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria delivered a judgment that Mr Kanu’s presence in Nigeria ‘is as a result of an impermissible extraordinary rendition’, hence acquitted him of all criminal charges pending against him. This, according to Ejimakor, has not been complied with.
He also recalled that in March 2022, Mr Kanu, through a suit he (Ejimakor) filed before the Federal High Court of Nigeria seeking the enforcement of Mr Kanu’s fundamental rights, stemming from his unlawful expulsion/extraordinary rendition from Kenya, on 26th October, 2022, rendered a judgment in favour of Mr Kanu, condemning his ‘extraordinary rendition and the consequent torture and unlawful detention’. The court also awarded compensation of N500m to Kanu against the Government of Nigera, which has not yet been obeyed, Ejimakor stated in the letter.
Ejimakor therefore urged the EU and Ecowas to “Urge Nigeria to promptly comply with the said Opinion of the United Nations Working Group, particularly as it pertains to the unconditional release of Mr Kanu from detention, [and] urge Nigeria to promptly comply with the ratio of the said judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (Umuahia) by restoring Mr Kanu to his status quo before 19th June, 2021 and otherwise making him whole as was ordered by the court.”
Ejimakor further sought the intervention of the two bodies to prevail on Nigeria to be guided [as par Kanu] by the letters and spirit of the United Nations Working Group Opinion, the judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (Umuahia), the judgment of the High Court of Abia State and the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
He also wants their intervention in urging Nigeria ‘to cease and desist from further criminal prosecution of Mr Kanu and to instead constructively engage Mr Kanu in seeking a political solution to the Biafran question.”
Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which he founded in 2012 for the purpose of the actualization of the creation of the State of Biafra. Our correspondent gathered that IPOB is registered as a legal entity in the United Kingdom.
Kanu is currently being detained at the headquarters of the Department of State Services after being arrested on June 19, 2021 in Kenya. He was brought to Nigeria on 27th June, 2021. He charges are on running a proscribed group, jumping bail in 2017 and treason.
