IPOB has revealed that FG is in breach of a court order for not releasing Nnamdi Kanu.
NewsOnline reports that the Indigenous People of Biafra have refused the offer of Anambra State Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo to stand as surety for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, claiming that the Federal Government is violating its own court decision.
While the group welcomed Soludo’s call to unconditionally release Kanu, it said the call was three months late, coming three months after “the Court of Appeal discharged and exonerated” its leader.
It went on to say that the Governor should instead call on the Federal Government to respect its own court and release Kanu.
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This was stated in a statement made accessible to journalists by IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, in response to Soludo’s request to the FG to release the arrested IPOB leader.
The statement partly read, “We welcome the call by the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, for the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“But the said call for the unconditional release of our leader is belated, and coming three months and one day after the Court of Appeal, Abuja judicial division, in its erudite judgement delivered on the 13th day of October 2022, discharged and acquitted the leader of IPOB and all the remaining 8-Count amended charge preferred against him.
“The court consequently directed for his unconditional release in the landmark judgement. It further prohibited the Federal Government of Nigeria from further detaining our leader or even presenting him for trial on any indictment or offence whatsoever before any court in Nigeria.”
IPOB noted that its leader was no longer under indictment or facing a criminal charge that required a guarantee, hence the subject of bail did not arise.
The group claimed that the FG was violating its own court order.
“It is important, therefore, to clarify that our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has no form of indictment or even charge pending against him today before any court by the authority of this Judgement.
“The issue of granting bail or otherwise does not arise by any stretch of consideration or imagination, because it is the Federal Government that is today in breach of this order of a superior court of competent Jurisdiction.
“It is to be emphasized further that Onyendu, who was discharged on the 13th Day of October 2022, by the Court of Appeal does not have any need for surety because there is no charge hanging on his neck today.
“We have gone beyond the issue of surety or no surety, every genuine call/demand in the prevailing circumstance should be firmly directed at calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of ‘Onyendu’ made by its own court.
“May we also remind Governor Soludo and others that Onyendu’s current incarceration is not sanctioned by any law known to man, it is unconstitutional and an affront to constitutional democracy and rule of law,” the statement added.
“Why should we be pleading with them to obey their own court orders directing for the unconditional release of Onyendu? It’s compelling and mandatory on their part to obey their own court orders,” IPOB said.
