The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) is upbeat that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu would soon be a free man, going by the recent directive by the United Nations to the Nigerian Government.
Kanu, who is currently facing trial, has been in the detention facility of the Department of State Service (DSS) in Abuja, the nation’s capital for about 14 months after his interception and rendition from Kenya by the Nigeria authorities.
But the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in its decision contained in opinion No. 25/22, has reportedly asked the Nigerian Government to release the separatist unconditionally and compensate him for the abuse and torture he has and continues to suffer. Kanu’s international legal counsel, Mr Bruce Fein and Prof. Rachael Murray, who were engaged by his family as well as the IPOB leader’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, initiated the efforts leading to the UN directive.
The family of the embattled IPOB leader also hired two top legal firms, which filed a kidnapping case against Nigeria in the United Kingdom.
Bindmans and Doughty Street Chambers, the law firms defending Kanu had said in a statement: “At the time of the transfer, Mr Kanu was not in possession of his British passport. The transfer by Nigerian authorities, without identification documents and with the aim of rendition to justice, amounts to extraordinary rendition and is unlawful under international law.”
Speaking on the latest development, Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor and Chairman of Igbo Lawyers Association (ILA), Chief Chuks Muoma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said Nigeria was bound to obey the UN directive. Muoma said it will be an international scandal if Nigeria refuses to obey the UN directive for Kanu’s release. He further said the country might be sanctioned if it turns a deaf ear to the UN Human Rights body’s order stressing that it was dependent on whatever decision the body will recommend to its General Assembly for approval against Nigeria.
The former IPOB lawyer explained that a refusal will amount to disobeying the world body, to which Nigeria is a member, emphasizing that if one belongs to an organisation, he or she will abide by its rules and regulations.
“It will be international scandal to disobey a directive from such an organisation like the United Nations, so it has to carry out its membership obligations by obeying to release and pay adequate compensation to Kanu, as directed,” Muoma said.