The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has knocked the Supreme Court of Nigeria over its failure to fix a date to hear the Federal Government’s appeal against the release if its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that the Muhammadu Buhari-led had approached the apex court to challenge the discharge and acquittal of Nnamdi Kanu by an Appeal Court in Abuja. But the Supreme Court is yet to fix a date to hear the suit.
In a statement on Monday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the Supreme Court has shown it is partial by refusing to grant an accelerated hearing to Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB said: “We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great prophet and indefatigable liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, question the silence and refusal from the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to hear the Appeal case of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite all the accelerated hearing processes filed on the case.
“The recent political developments and ethnic profiling of Ndigbo in Nigeria are also playing out in the case of Kanu, which the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria have held down.
“It is evident that the lives of Biafrans, particularly Ndigbo, are endangered in Nigeria. We have witnessed the Supreme Court of Nigeria giving accelerated hearings to political cases brought before them but have kept mute over the human right abuse of Kanu who is illegally detained at the DSS solitary confinement or dungeon for almost two years now.
“The continuous silence and refusal of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to set a date of hearing on the Appeals brought before them by the Federal Government against the discharge and acquitted order from the Abuja Appeal Court has shown that the Apex Court is not neutral in this case.
“Mazi Nnamdi KANU, a prisoner of conscience, was abducted and tortured in Kenya before he was renditioned to Nigeria by the Nigerian State Secret Agents. On October 13, 2023, the Abuja Appeal Court discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and ordered the Nigerian government to pay him adequate compensation.
“Instead of releasing MNK as ordered by the Appeal Court, the Federal Government ran to the Supreme Court to frustrate the Appeal Court Orders and Appealed the case. Over 150 days after this Appeal was lodged, the apex Court, which ought to be the last hope of a common man has maintained silence, thereby allowing the Nigeria government to continue the torture and illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the DSS solitary dungeon for confinement.
“The subversion of law and justice in the continuing persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, irrespective of his failing health condition, is regrettable, unfortunate, and in clear violations of his fundamental human rights according to the Nigeria Constitution and International Laws.”
