Aloy Ejimakor, the legal counsel for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called on President Bola Tinubu to respect the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) decision and release Kanu from detention.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ejimakor emphasized that President Tinubu should not follow the example of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who ignored the UN’s 2022 directive to free Kanu.
The UNHRC’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had ruled in July 2022 that Kanu’s arrest and detention violated international law and called for his immediate release, as well as compensation for his illegal rendition from Kenya to Nigeria.
Kanu has been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021.
Ejimakor noted that Nigeria, as a signatory to international human rights conventions, is obligated to comply with the UN’s ruling, underscoring that the government must act in line with the legal mandates of such international bodies.
“It is not too late to act,” Ejimakor said, urging Tinubu to release Kanu without waiting for any further legal proceedings.
He also reminded the president that Kanu’s continued detention, now spanning over three years, lacks any legitimate legal basis and has subjected him to severe conditions.
The lawyer reiterated that Tinubu did not need a court order to release Kanu, as the UN’s ruling already provided clear guidance on the matter.
Ejimakor urged the president to take the necessary steps to ensure Kanu’s freedom and restore justice.
