Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The family of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has said that Thursday’s judgment of the Appeal Court in Abuja which discharged and acquitted him of the terrorism charge preferred against him by the Federal Government did not come to them as a surprise.
Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who stated this while reacting to the judgement, said he knew that it would “one day end in praise.”
He said that the judgement is “victory for all” and “victory for the living and the dead,” he added.
He, therefore, asked the Federal Government to comply with the judgment and release Kanu from detention without any further delays.
Ikengaonline reports that Kanu has been in detention at the headquarters of the Department of State Services, DSS, since June 2021, when he was renditioned from Kenya.
According to the younger Kanu,”the ruling didn’t come to us as a surprise because we knew that one day it was going to come to an end.
“It’s a victory to all – not just the family but to the entire Biafra nation and their millions of sympathizers.
“It’s victory for the living and the dead including our parents who passed on in the course of this struggle.
“Nigeria should comply because it’s an order by her own court of competent jurisdiction. It’s also in line with the UN Opinion on Human Rights Commission. So, Nigeria has no excuses to disobey her own court beside the UN Opinion.”
Meanwhile, the member representing Aba South state constituency in the Abia State House of Representatives, Hon. Obinna Ichita, has hailed the judgement, saying it will help boost Nigeria’s global image.
The lawmaker further said it would help deepen democracy and douse tension in the South-East zone of the country.
Ichita in a statement he personally issued Saturday, noted that the wide-spread joy that greeted the news of Kanu’s acquittal was a confirmation that the IPOB Leader remained an important factor in finding lasting peace in the South-East.
The statement read: “spontaneous excitement across the length and breadth of the land last night, validates the argument that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is an important factor in any conversation towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges in the South-East in particular and in Nigeria in general.
“I commend the Judges of the Court of Appeal for their objectivity and professionalism.
The judgement of the Court of Appeal is another boost to the effort to deepen democracy in our land. It speaks to the independence and erudition of the judiciary.
“I congratulate the Kanu family, the Isiama Afara Ibeku community, the people of Abia State and indeed all people in Igboland and in Nigeria .
“I believe that beyond the release of Nnamdi Kanu, this is now the time for the parties to evaluate and address some germane issues that will lead to an enduring peace which is a prerequisite for progress. There is always a solution to every problem.”
