A former United States (U.S) Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has urged the Nigerian authorities to obey the ruling of the Appeal Court on the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, as the country's safety and security depend largely on the outcome of Kanu’s matter.
In a tweet, Campbell cautioned against the far-reaching implications of disobeying the Court judgment which discharged and acquitted Kanu of a terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
He said that the country cannot afford any more "mishandling" of the matter, adding that Nigeria misfired by embarking on the extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya last year.
In reaction to Campbell's tweet, Alloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel, to the IPOB leader said in a statement that “Nigeria’s disobedience of a 2018 decision of a continental tribunal on Kanu was the first ‘mishandling".
Alloy Ejimakor.
Ejimakor called on Nigeria not to set a bad precedent as a lawless country by not obeying the order of a court of competent jurisdiction on Kanu’s release.
His statement reads: “The extraordinary rendition was the second. Putting Kanu on trial was the third. Disobeying the United Nations (UN) was the fourth. And the likelihood of disobeying the judgment of the Court of Appeal will be the fifth.”
Ejimakor urged “Nigerians of means and influence, and the international community to intervene in persuading President Buhari to promptly comply with the court order which discharged Kanu from all the criminal charges pending against him”.
He also recalled that “President Buhari had, on two occasions, promised to obey any court order that bears on the release of Kanu”, adding: “A promise of this sort is a debt.”
Release Kanu and allow peace to reign -Edwin Clark tells the Federal Government.
Similarly, the leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, ( PANDEF), Edwin Clark, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu in line with the judgment of the Appeal Court.
In a statement on Monday, Clark recalled that during several meetings with Southeast stakeholders, President Muhammadu Buhari gave a firm promise that he would obey the decision of the court regarding the IPOB leader.
Edwin Clark.
The elder statesman said "Now that the Court of Appeal has given its judgment on the matter, I am imploring the President to obey the judgment of the court and release the young man, and allow peace to reign.
"At this time, when insecurity is the order of the day, anything that would enhance the peace and stability of the country must be embraced”, he said.
Clark expressed sadness at the position of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami on the matter, noting that the Minister has abandoned part of his job.
"I have sadly, observed that the Attorney General has, no doubt, abandoned part of his job and is now involved in ‘executive rascality’, to the chagrin and dismay of patriotic Nigerians at home and abroad,” Clark said.
Ohaneze wants President Buhari to show leadership by setting Kanu free.
The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze has also joined the call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu asking President Muhammadu Buhari to show leadership by honoring his words on the release of the IPOB leader.
In a statement signed by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike on Tuesday the group said it is worried at the government's reluctance to obey the ruling of a competent Court on the matter.
“It is a source of worry that the Buhari-led presidency is foot-dragging in obeying the Appeal Court’s order on Nnamdi Kanu.
"Recall that Igbo leaders, including the international community, had at several times asked the President to apply a political solution to Kanu’s case but he said the court would decide on that.
"Now that the court has ruled in Kanu’s favor, the supposed Chief law officer of the federation, Abubakar Malami is busy deceiving the government.
"We ask Mr. President to show leadership; he should respect the rule of law; for the federal government of Nigeria to disobey valid orders of the court is sending the wrong signal to the citizens and the international community.”
"The President should without hesitation order the DSS to comply with that order and free Kanu to ensure total peace and security in the South-East and the South-South,” Okwu stated.
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja last Thursday discharged and acquitted the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of the terrorism charge proffered against him by the federal government.
However, in a swift reaction, the Federal Government through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami said that Kanu was discharged and not acquitted, a position supported by the National Security Council during it's meeting in Abuja last Friday.
Politics and Opinion.
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