Crime

Don’t stand as surety, persuade FG to release Kanu, IPOB tells Soludo

By Salami Azeez

January 16, 2023

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo should compel and persuade the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.

IPOB said its incarcerated leader, Kanu has no case to answer before the Nigerian court, as such does not need to be freed on bail.

The group said this in reaction to Soludo’s call on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to release Kanu and that he would be a surety for him.

Soludo, during the campaign flag-off of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Awka, the capital of Anambra, on Saturday, said “I am making a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.”

“If he cannot be released unconditionally, I want him released to me and I will stand surety for him,” he added. 

Reacting on Monday, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said, “We wish to welcome the recent call by the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo for the unconditional release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.” 

The statement partly read, “It is important, therefore, to clarify that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has no form of indictment or even charge pending against him today before any court by the authority of this judgment.

“The issue of granting bail or otherwise does not arise by any stretch of consideration or imagination, because it is the Federal Government that is today in breach of this order of a superior court of competent jurisdiction.

“It is to be emphasized further that Kanu who was discharged on the 13th day of October 2022, by the Court of Appeal does not have any need for surety because there is no charge hanging on his neck today.

“We have gone beyond the issue of surety or no surety, every genuine call/demand in the prevailing circumstance should be firmly directed at calling out on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of Kanu made by its own court.”

“May we also remind Governor Soludo and others, that Kanu’s current incarceration is not sanctioned by any law known to man, it is unconstitutional and an affront to constitutional democracy and the rule of law.”

“Instead, Governor Soludo should gear all his efforts towards persuading and compelling the rulers of Nigeria to obey their own Law,” it added.