By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has rejected the assurance by the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to stand as surety for its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had during the 2023 mega rally of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for its Presidential candidate Mr. Peter Umeadi and others held at the Ekwueme Square in Awka at the weekend appealed to the Federal Government under President Miha..adu Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.
Soludo promised to stand as surety for Kanu’s release, adding the IPOB leader is a critical stakeholder for the planned roundtable dialogue by people of the Southeast geo political zone in order to put a stop to the worrisome state of insecurity threatening live and property in the zone
Soludo at the rally said, “I am making a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. If he cannot be released unconditionally and as said by the court I want him be released to me and I will stand surety for him. I will make him available any time he is nedded.”
But IPOB in a statement by its media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, on Monday said the detained leader was innocent of all the offences preferred against him and therefore would not need any type of surety to be released.
It maintained that the Court of Appeal judgement that freed Kanu from all the charges against him was all that he needed to be discharged and acquitted.
IPOB said Soludo’s call should rather end at calling on the Federal Government to respect its own court by releasing Kanu, unconditionally.
According to the group,
“We welcome the call by the Governor of Anambra State-Governor Charles Soludo for the unconditional release of our leader Nnamdi Kanu.”
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“But the said call for the unconditional release of our leader is belated, and coming three months and one day, after the Court of Appeal, Abuja judicial division, in its erudite judgement delivered on the 13th day of October 2022, discharged and acquitted the leader of IPOB and all the remaining 8-Count amended charge preferred against him.”
“The court consequently directed for his unconditional release in the landmark judgement. It further prohibited the Federal Government of Nigeria from further detaining our leader or even presenting him for trial on any indictment or offence whatsoever before any court in Nigeria.”
IPOB said, “It is important therefore, to clarify that our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu 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.
“It is to be emphasized further that onyendu who was discharged on the 13th Day of October 2022, by the court of appeal court does not have any need for surety because there is no charge hanging on his neck today.
“We have gone beyond issue of surety or no surety, every genuine call/demand in the prevailing circumstance should be firmly directed at calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of ‘Onyendu’ made by its own court.
“May we also remind Governor Soludo and others, that Onyendu’s current incarceration is not sanctioned by any law known to man, it is unconstitutional and affront to constitutional democracy and rule of law.”
IPOB pointed out that Soludo’s kind of plea is the reason rulers of Nigeria have no regard for the rule of law.
“Why should we be pleading with them to obey their own court orders directing for the unconditional release of Onyendu. It’s compelling and mandatory on their part to obey their own court orders.”
