Please Speak Against Nigeria's Infringement On Biafrans' Rights And Dignity, And The Continued Illegal Detention Of Nnamdi Kanu The IPOB Leader

 Please Speak Against Nigeria's Infringement On Biafrans' Rights And Dignity, And The Continued Illegal Detention Of Nnamdi Kanu The...

 Please Speak Against Nigeria's Infringement On Biafrans' Rights And Dignity, And The Continued Illegal Detention Of Nnamdi Kanu The IPOB Leader

Sir/Ma

The inherent dignity of every human, as affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is one that should have maximum respect from all civil societies and apply equally to all humans. Unfortunately, now, it is clearly no more the case as it currently appears as if some humans are superior to others, and these rights should only come in effect when dealing with the supposedly 'superior', but ignored when it concerns the assumed less superior ones. 

Respect for fundamental rights which are also enshrined in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE)'s commitments, and the obligations and standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union as communities of rights and values, obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination, and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities. But, these rights are currently being blatantly violated in the case of Nnamdi Okwu Kanu, a British Citizen. 

Sir/ma, I want to call your attention to the plights of the Biafran people, and to that of the Indigenous People Of Biafra(IPOB) whose leader is Nnamdi Okwu Kanu. IPOB is a body demanding referendum for the Biafran people to decide their fate in the unholy and forced union, Nigeria. 

Nigeria as you must have known, is the forced amalgamation of many ethnic nations with several diversities, having Biafra, Oduduwa and  Arewa as the three major ethnics Nations. Biafrans are 98% Judeo-Christian, Oduduwas is a mixture of Christians and Muslims and Arewas are 85% Muslims. These three distinct countries were amalgamated by Britain in 1914. But the three have never been one since the time of this amalgamation till now, as a result of diverse cultural norms and beliefs.

This unrest was what led the Biafra genocidal war of 1967-1970. 

During the war, Britain in collaboration with Nigeria committed one of the worst crimes ever, against humanity. The war lasted for three years, with Biafrans casualty estimated at about 5-million. Five million Biafrans were killed due to food blockade strategy that was engineered by Britain. And, up till today, the cause of that genocide is still lingering, and a simple Google Search will unveil so much more to you.

Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) is a Biafran self-determination movement, formed by Nnamdi Okwu Kanu. Presently, IPOB is a registered nonviolence movement in over a hundred countries of the world, even in your own country. The main aim of IPOB is to restore the Sovereignty of Biafra which existed before even the creation of Nigeria by British.

Mazi Nnamdi, the leader of the movement has been hunted by Nigeria government on several occasions, in attempt to make him drop the quest for Biafra separation from Nigeria.  The IPOB leader was arrested on treason charges in Lagos, Nigeria on 14th October 2015 and was detained for about two years, despite various court orders that ruled for his release. Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian President vehemently refused to release Kanu until 28th April, 2017 when He(Kanu) was later released on stringent bail conditions. 

As though that was not enough, Kanu's home was raided by the Nigerian Military on 14th of September, 2017, leading to the death of 28 armless civilians in the process but Nnamdi Kanu Narrowly escaped the assassination attempt.

On June 27th 2021, Kanu was again abducted in Kenya by the Nigerian secret agent, in collaboration with the Kenyan government. Kanu was tortured under chains for 8 days, latter renditioned to Nigeria and detained hurtfully in the Department of State Services(DSS)'s dungeon. 

Following Kanu's abduction, questions were raised over what was termed "Kanu's disregard of the Nigerian constitution" by absconding bail in 2017. But when Kanu was arraigned in court on 29 June 2021, Kanu narrated to the presiding judge that the Nigerian military forced him to flee the country in 2017 when they(military) came to his house to eliminate him on 14 September 2017; an event which took the lives of about 28-persons.  “My lord, my house was invaded and people were killed. I would have been killed too if I had not hid myself. That was why I have been unable to attend court. “I would have been killed the way others were killed when my house was invaded,” Kanu told the presiding judge

On 19 January 2022, Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court ruled that the 2017 arrest of Kanu is unlawful and an infringement on his human rights, the court also ruled  that his abduction and forceful return to Nigeria in June 2021 is "illegal" under local and international laws. 

Read here: Court orders FG to pay Nnamdi Kanu N1bn over rights violation

The Justice Anya's Court also considered some evidences that were presented by IPOB Legal Team and acknowledged that Kanu's home was invaded criminally by Nigerian Military in 2017. Anya also ruled that the Nigerian government should release Kanu and pay him a sum of N1billion as a compensation for the violation of his fundamental human rights.  

Subsequently, The United Nations(UN) Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, indicted both Nigeria and Kenya Governments for the arrest and extraordinary rendition, torture and continued detention of the IPOB Leader, without due process.

The council urged Nigeria government to ensure, “immediate release Kanu unconditionally” and pay him adequate compensations for the arbitrary violation of his fundamental human rights.

This is contained in the 16-page report, dated July 20, 2022, was adopted on April 4 by the UN Working Group at its 93rd session, held between March 30 – April 8, 2022.

Following suit, three-man justices at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria, on 13th of October, 2022 ruled that the rendition of Kanu from Kenya is illegal and therefore, he should be discharged and acquitted. The court made this ruling on the appeal filed by Kanu, challenging the criminal charges against him.

Unfortunately, Kanu is still in the detention of DSS till today. 

It is still good you know that Nigeria government on 20th September, 2017 falsely proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organisation, but a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako had also on March 2, 2017, ruled that “IPOB is not an unlawful organisation.”

ALSO READ: Nnamdi Kanu accuses Nigeria government of funding the insecurity rocking Biafra

“The court which struck-out six of the 11-count criminal charges the federal government preferred against the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and three other pro-Biafra agitators, declared that IPOB was not unlawful.

In the language of the presiding judge, “It may be true that IPOB is not registered in Nigeria, but does that make it an illegal organisation?”

You should also note that as Kanu is still in prison the Nigeria government is committing all sorts of criminalities in Biafraland, and tagging it to his IPOB and other Kanu's supporters, all in a bid to blackmail the freedom fighter and its movement before international community. 

Sir/Ma, being that you are a person of integrity and commitment to rules of law and order, I employ you to use your good office and let Nigeria government know that what they are doing is against the international law. It is a bridge against the right of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Thanks for your understanding

Written By Family Writers Press International.