By Adadareporters
Barr Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday, accused the Presidency of masterminding the continued incarceration of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Ejimakor in a statement via his X handle said it is no more the Supreme Court that is behind Kanu’s detention.
Kanu is being detained at the custody of the Department of State Service in Abuja since 2021 when he was arrested in Kenya and renditioned to Nigeria. He is charged with running a proscribed group, treason and jumping bail.
Former president Muhammadu Buhari refused to release Kanu after his acquittal by Nigeria’s Court of Appeal. The federal government appealed for stay of execution, and the Supreme Court has fixed December 15, 2023 for the hearing of Kanu’s case after many adjournments.
Ejimakor tweeted that, “The persisting incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has become more unsustainable with the release of Sunday Igboho, especially as it was done with the support of Yoruba leaders and Tinubu (@officialABAT). To be sure, it’s the Presidency that is holding #MNK, not the Supreme Court.”
Igboho is leading the agitation for the independence of the Yoruba nation, and was arrested last year in Benin Republic. He recently regained his freedom.
Opinions point towards the fact that Igboho’s release was facilitated by the Yoruba nation, including President Bola Tinubu.
“Kanu has a similar case as Igboho, but you can see how Igboho’s case was managed by the Yoruba nation,” Maxwell Eze, an Igbo activist, said. He added, “Igboho was not extradited to Nigeria the same way Kanu was extradited from Kenya. And Igbo leaders are just watching.”
Recall that Ohanaeze Ndigbo, during the 2023 Igbo Day celebration in Enugu, appealed to President Tinubu to release Kanu, maintaining that Kanu has not being found guilty of any offence to warrant his continued detention since 2021.
