Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has asserted that he will not seek the Federal Government’s mercy for his release. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja recently cleared Kanu, as confirmed in a letter dated August 25, 2023, signed by his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
Concerns were raised by Ozekhome over the inadequate conditions at Kanu’s Department of State Services detention facility. To address this, the lawyer requested the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to appoint a Magistrate to inspect the detention center.
In the letter, Kanu expressed that requesting his release would be an insult to the late Pa Mbazulike Amaechi’s memory. Despite his age and ill health, Amaechi repeatedly journeyed from the South-East to Abuja, imploring the Federal Government to honor his final wish, which was disregarded. These points emerged during a meeting between Kanu, his lawyers, and family.
Kanu’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, shared that Kanu appreciated the support for his release but emphasized that he had already been discharged by the Court of Appeal’s judgment on October 13, 2022, which also prohibited his further trial and detention.
Kanu firmly maintained that he did not need to plead for his freedom from the Federal Government since the Court of Appeal’s pronouncement stands. Instead, he called for the Supreme Court to schedule an expeditious hearing for the appeal filed by the government.
Ejiofor further detailed that the legal team led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, had taken various actions to address Kanu’s welfare and the State Security Service’s (SSS) failure to provide his medical records.
They applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory for a Magistrate to inspect the SSS facility as per the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. Due to the SSS’s disregard for an order by Justice Binta Nyako, Ozekhome initiated a contempt proceeding against the SSS and its Director General for violating court orders.
Overall, Kanu’s determination not to beg for his release and his legal team’s actions shed light on the ongoing legal battle and concerns surrounding his detention conditions.
