Ipob praises Governor Soludo for calling on federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu

GOVERNOR Charles Soludo of Anambra State has been praised by the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) over his recent call for the unconditional release of their leader Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention since 2021.

Highly controversial, Mr Kanu has been campaigning for the recreation of the independent republic of Biafra which broke away from Nigeria between July 1967 and January 1970 during the civil war. His campaign, which has led to the phenomenal growth of Ipob, has set him at odds with the Nigerian government who him arrested and put on trial for treason.

While the case was still pending, Mr Kanu was granted bail in April 2017 on health grounds but skipped his bail after flouting the conditions given to him by the court and fled Nigeria. In a dramatic development, in June 2021, Mr Kanu was abducted in Kenya and flown to Nigeria, where he has since been arrayed in court in Abuja, with fresh charges added to the pending ones.

Commenting on the matter recently, Governor Soludo called on the federal government to draw a line under the matter by releasing Mr Kanu. Praising the governor for his stance, Ipob said while its welcomes the development, the issue of granting of bail or standing surety does not arise at this time because the federal government has breached the order of a superior court of competent jurisdiction.

Ipob emphasised that Mr Kanu had been discharged on October 13, 2022 by the court of appeal and do not have any need for any surety because there is no charge hanging on him as of today. Emma Powerful, Ipob's spokesman, said:  “We have gone beyond the issue of surety or no surety, every genuine call and demand in the prevailing circumstance should be  firmly directed at calling out on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of Kanu made by its own court.

“Although the said call for the unconditional release of our leader is belatedly coming three months and one day, after the Court of Appeal, Abuja judicial division, in its erudite judgement delivered on October 13, 2022, discharged and acquitted the leader of Ipob and all the remaining eight-count amended charges preferred against him and consequently directed for his unconditional release. The landmark judgment further prohibited the federal government from further detaining our leader or even presenting him for trial on any indictment or offence whatsoever before any court in Nigeria.

“It is important therefore, to clarify that our leader 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 superior court of competent jurisdiction.

“May we also remind Governor Soludo and others, that Kanu’s current incarceration is not sanctioned by any law known to man, it is unconstitutional and affront to constitutional democracy and rule of law. Further to the above, is the fact that Kanu has no case to answer again, therefore, the need for surety does not arise, instead Soludo should gear all his efforts towards persuading and compelling on the lawless rulers of Nigeria to obey their own law."