Nobody should beg for my freedom – Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has firmly stated that he does not want anyone to plead with President Bola Tinubu’s government for his release from detention.

This position was communicated through a statement issued by his counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, on Saturday.

According to Ejimakor, Kanu maintains that he has committed no crime and, therefore, any effort to secure his freedom should not be framed as a plea for pardon or clemency.

His remarks follow recent appeals from some South East leaders, including Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, urging the President to facilitate his release. Kanu, however, stressed that his continued detention contradicts the principles of justice, citing a Federal High Court ruling that declared his detention unconstitutional.

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“During my visitation with Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday, he made it abundantly clear that while he is deeply appreciative of the efforts and the widespread calls being made by well-meaning individuals and groups to secure his release, he, however, instructed his legal team to issue the following clarifications,” Ejimakor stated.

Kanu’s legal team emphasized that his release should be viewed strictly as a matter of legal obligation, not an act of mercy or political concession.

“The matter of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy, pardon, executive clemency, or even amnesty. Instead, it should be an act of simply complying with the subsisting Federal High Court judgment that declared his detention as unconstitutional or even the extant international tribunal decisions that separately declared his detention as unlawful,” the statement read.

Kanu further reiterated his stance that self-determination, the core of his activism, is an inalienable right protected under Nigerian and international law. He argued that framing his release as a favor undermines this right.

“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime. Self-determination, which is the real issue that got twisted to suddenly become a high crime, is an inalienable right guaranteed under the laws of Nigeria, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and Kenya,” Ejimakor quoted him as saying.

While expressing gratitude to individuals and groups advocating for his freedom, Kanu advised that efforts should be redirected towards ensuring that his trial aligns with constitutional and international legal standards.

“Instead of begging, those desiring his release should emulate the language and tact used by Afenifere, Ohaneze, World Igbo Congress (WIC), ranking members of the National Assembly, American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self Determination (based in America), the international community and a host of others who have made it clear that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves to be released because he has committed no offence known to law. If truth be told, it is Nigeria’s executive branch which extraordinarily renditioned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that should show contrition for resorting to extraordinary rendition which is a State crime under international law and and the common law. If any begging must be done, it should be directed to the Courts to conduct his cases and that of IPOB with the utmost impartiality and adherence to rule of law, equity, and good conscience.

“Most importantly, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu sincerely thanks everyone working assiduously towards the restoration of security, tranquility, and good order in his beloved Igboland,” the statement read.