BIAFRA NEWS : Catholic bishops ask Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu

 

Mr Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges at the 

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Federal High Court, Abuja, has been in detention at the facility of the State Security Service (SSS) since he was rearrested and brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances.

Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group seeking independence of South-east and parts of South-south from Nigeria.

Mr Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been in detention at the facility of the State Security Service (SSS) since he was rearrested and brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances.

Catholic Bishops speak

The Catholic bishops said releasing Mr Kanu would help the South-east to recover from the impacts of insecurity occasioned by the IPOB leader’s prolonged detention.

 The bishop spoke through a speech delivered by their President, Lucius Ugorji, during the episcopal ordination of Ifeanyichukwu Obiatuegwu as the auxiliary bishop of Orlu Catholic Diocese in Imo State on Wednesday, Vanguard newspaper

“I appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explore civil remedy in the release of Nnamdi Kanu so as to restore economic and social lives to the South-east,” Mr Ugorji said.

The Catholic bishop said insecurity has worsened in the region since Mr Kanu’s incarceration and lamented that the sit-at-home introduced by IPOB has paralysed economic activities in the region.

“Insecurity has become an issue in the South-east. Unfortunately, the sit-at-home order has continued to paralyse economic and social lives in the South-east.

“There has been repeated outcry in the South-east. Business operators have lost billions of naira because of sit-at-home order. Many poor families are afraid to come out on Mondays,” he said.

The call for Mr Kanu’s release, though not the first time, came hours after the IPOB leader boasted that he has the capacity to end the insecurity in South-east and South-south Nigeria within two minutes if he is released from detention.

Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extra-ordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.

The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the SSS.

But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from.

The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order at the Supreme Court staying the execution of the court judgment

Delivering judgment on the appeal on 15 December, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.

The court, on Tuesday, dismissed Mr Kanu’s fresh application for bail.