The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent(AVID) has once again called on the Nigeria federal government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention.
The group specially appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “to do the right thing” by freeing Kanu either through getting the court to restore his bail status or granting him unconditional freedom.
The Veterans made their request in an open letter signed by its President, Dr. Sylvester Onyia, and the Secretary, Dr Godson Obiagwu dated February 26, 2025 and addressed to both President Tinubu and his government.
They noted that the trial of the IPOaB leader has turned to a political persecution given that the federal High Court had on October 26, 2022 declared his extraordinary rendition from Kenya illegal.
The court also declared that the manner of his arrest and continued detention as well as the inhuman and degrading treatment meted to him constituted violation of his fundamental rights.
“The further detention of Mr. Kanu after the issuance of this judgment has become arbitrary because the Government of Nigeria has a binding obligation to free him by virtue of the provisions of Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution,” the group said.
It also refered to the December 2023 verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in which the apex court held that Kanu did not jump bail by fleeing for his life when troops invaded his home in September 2017.
AVID further urged Mr. President to consider and act on other court rulings and the report of the United Nations Human Rights Council that all declared Kanu’s detention illegal and violation of his rights.
An Abia State high court had January 19, 2022 2022, the High Court of Abia stated that the military invasion of Kanu’s residence was a violation of his fundamental rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty.
Not only that, the court said that the raid was an attempted violation of Kanu’s right to life by by the federal government or its agents.
At the global stage, Kanu has received favourble opinion of the UN Human Rights Council through its Working Group which called on the Nigerian government to not only free the detained Biafra agitator but also pay him compensation.
AVID, therefore, urged President Tinubu to act on the opinion and recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council and grant Kanu his freedom from further detention.
The Working Group had in its 17-page Opinion, in its Disposition (or conclusion) stated: “The Working Group considers that, taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be for the Government of Nigeria to release Mr. Kanu immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
The Veterans insisted that there are enough legal grounds for Mr. President “to, without further ado, direct that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu be released, either on the restoration of his unlawfully revoked bail or on a constitutional discontinuance of his prosecution”.
“Suffice it to say, that there is no gainsaying that this matter has transformed from the legal or judicial to the political, which is within the executive province and prerogatives of President Tinubu,” AVID stated.
The group reminded Tinubu that the buck
stops at his table hence he should use his powers to halt “this grave injustice” thereby putting an end to Kanu’s lingering ordeal.