Afaraukwu community laments the loss of Nnamdi Kanu's case as it has to cancel welcome party

MEMBERS of the Afaraukwu Ibeku community in Umuahia North Local Government Area have expressed disappointment with the recent Supreme Court ruling ordering that Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu should remain in detention.

Yesterday, an attempt to get Mr Kanu freed failed after the Supreme Court ruled that he must face trial at the federal high court. Upholding the federal government’s appeal, the Supreme Court judgement delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, held that the Court of Appeal was wrong to rule that Mr Kanu could not be tried again based on the illegality perpetrated against him following the invasion of his home.

Also, the court held that although the Nigerian government recklessly and unlawfully abducted Mr Kanu from Kenya, such an unlawful act has not divested any court from proceeding with the trial. However, the people of Afaraukwu Ibeku, the hometown of Mr Kanu, described the Supreme Court ruling as a big disgrace to the Nigerian judiciary and a setback for human rights.

Ikechuckwu Ndubueze, the former president-general of Afaraukwu community, said that the ruling delivered by the Supreme Court was in contrast to justice. He wondered how the same apex court that acknowledged that Mr Kanu was wrongly arrested and brought into Nigeria unlawfully from Kenya could go ahead to quash the earlier ruling by the Appeal Court feeing him.

Mr Ndubueze, who described Nnamdi Kanu as a prophet, said that the Nigerian judiciary was no longer a place for justice, adding that conflicting judgements dished out by post-election courts have vindicated the Ipob leader's standpoints. He warned that nothing must happen to Mr Kanu, in detention, as his kinsmen would not tolerate any harm to him.

According to Mr Ndubueze, the avalanche of injustice in the country has further justified Mr Kanu’s call for Biafra. He said he wondered why the federal government was not respecting human rights laws as enshrined in the United Nations, African Union, and the Economic Community of West African State charters.

Mr Ndubueze said: “Nnamdi Kanu must certainly come back to Ibekuland and nothing must happen to him in detention. We, the Ibeku people, are fearless and would never tolerate any harm to our son."

Last week, the Afaraukwu community had been preparing to celebrate the release of Mr Kanu, as they hoped that he would win his court case. However, his loss of the case meant that all these planned festivities had to be put on hold.