In a concerning turn of events, the Department of State Services (DSS) has denied human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, access to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who had specifically requested the visit.
Sowore, who shared his experience at the DSS facility in Abuja, has since demanded the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu. He sharply criticized the Nigerian government led by President Bola Tinubu for seemingly embracing a path of lawlessness reminiscent of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, by continuing to detain Kanu against court orders.
Recalling his invitation by Kanu to visit him, Sowore expressed his frustration over hours of bureaucratic delays and revealed that the DSS ultimately denied him access to Kanu. This incident marks the second time Sowore has been lawfully prevented from visiting Kanu since his controversial abduction from Kenya.
In a passionate statement shared on his social media platform, Sowore wrote, “#FreeNnamdiKanuNow. I spent several hours at the @OfficialDSSNG headquarters in Abuja, invited by Onyedu @MaziNnamdiKanu for a visit in custody. However, after enduring bureaucratic hurdles, the DSS informed me that I couldn’t see him today. This marks the second instance where my lawful visitation to Mazi has been denied since his illegal abduction from Kenya. The @officialABAT regime’s lack of tolerance for lawful self-determination agitation persists. Tinubu is not different from @MBuhari.”
Just days prior, SaharaReporters had reported that Nnamdi Kanu declared he would no longer plead with the Nigerian government for his release, following clearance by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja. A letter dated August 25, 2023, and penned by Kanu’s lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, had highlighted the dismal conditions of Kanu’s detention facility under the custody of the Department of State Services. The letter urged the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court to appoint a Magistrate to inspect the detention facility.
Kanu, standing firm, expressed that seeking his freedom now would be an affront to the memory of the late Pa Mbazulike Amechi. Amechi had fervently appealed to the Federal Government, despite his advanced age and health challenges, only to have his appeals met with indifference and disregard.