
Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) during the 2023 elections, has asserted that the ongoing detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), highlights a deeper issue within the Nigerian state regarding its treatment of the Igbo people.
In a recent interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90Minutes Africa, Sowore expressed his belief that Kanu’s situation reflects the historical injustices faced by the Igbo since the end of the civil war. He stated, “Nigeria has an Igbo problem. It’s like when a father is dying; they tell their children, ‘I have a problem with the Igbo people; please continue from there.'”
Nnamdi Kanu initially fled Nigeria in 2017 while out on bail, facing terrorism charges in a Federal High Court after a military raid on his home. His return to Nigeria occurred on June 27, 2021, when he was arrested in Kenya with the help of Interpol and Nigerian security agents in a controversial operation described as extraordinary rendition.
On October 22, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled that Kanu’s extradition was unlawful and ordered his immediate release. Despite this ruling, the Nigerian government kept him detained, appealing to the Supreme Court against the lower court’s decision. Although the Supreme Court acknowledged the illegality of Kanu’s extradition, it ruled that this alone did not justify his release, allowing the legal proceedings against him to continue.
Kanu remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) as he faces seven charges related to terrorism in the Federal High Court. Sowore, who has also experienced detainment by the DSS, expressed disappointment that the Bola Tinubu administration has not taken steps to release Kanu. “I expected Tinubu’s first act in office would be to free Nnamdi Kanu. The fact that conditions have worsened indicates a conspiracy at play,” he stated.
Additionally, Sowore highlighted the involvement of some Igbo elites in Kanu’s continued detention, noting that discussions regarding his release were postponed until after the recent elections. “Now, after the election, it seems like darker forces are at work,” he added.
Sowore expressed skepticism about Kanu receiving justice from the Nigerian judicial system, suggesting that the president’s influence over the judiciary undermines the possibility of a fair trial. “Kanu is essentially a prisoner of whoever holds the presidency in Nigeria. His situation is reported to the president daily,” he remarked. “Justice from the courts seems unlikely unless the Nigerian State chooses to release him.”
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