Release Nnamdi Kanu Unconditionally Now—HURIWA Tells Buhari

Lambasts South East Governors For Cowardice

By Emmanuel Onwubiko
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"The continuous detention under circumstances considered obnoxious and toxic of the Director of the Europe Based Radio Biafra and leader of the Free People of Biafra (IPOB) Mr Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of State Service (DSS) apparently on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari in clear breach of extant and competent bail order of the court is unconstitutional; illegal, reprehensible and absolutely condemnable ".

With the above affirmation the pro-democracy Non-governmental organisation - HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA ) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to set Nnamdi Kanu free from the politically motivated detention since the government has no valid and justifiable reasons in law to continue to try him for an offence that's unknown to the Nigerian law since both the Radio Biafra and the Independent people of Biafra are entities with operational bases abroad and given the obvious fact that the organisation known as independent Peoples of Biafra is not a legally banned entity in Nigeria. HURIWA also said it is unconstitutional to detain a person whilst the security agency does not have good enough evidence to nail such a person. "Why should Nnamdi Kanu be detained for many weeks whilst DSS goes on adventurous fishing for evidence to prosecute him? This amounts to hostage taking and it's completely unlawful".

HURIWA said it is completely unconstitutional for the institution of law enforcement that is in clear breach of a valid bail order granted the detainee by the same court which that government security institution instituted the arraignment only for the same agency to go searching for a kangaroo order of another court in its desperate and despicable effort to justify the gross violations of the constitutional rights of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu.

Besides, the Rights group in a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, lambasted the governors and political leaders of the South East of Nigeria for cowardly failing to demand the unconditional release from illegal underground detention of Mr Nnamdi Kanu. "The man dies in him who fails to speak out in the face of oppression and dictatorship as is the case with the young man Mr Nnamdi Kanu who is a political prisoner of Conscience particularly given the disappointing episodes of the failure by the South East leaders to demand his freedom as a way to begin any meaningful negotiations with the protesters".

HURIWA said the outcome of the recent meeting of the South East political leaders which has resulted in the setting up of a committee to meet with both the youth protesting on the streets of South East under the banner of Movement for the Actualisation of Biafra and the independent Peoples of Biafra and thereafter meet President Muhammadu Buhari over the same matter without clearly canvassing the unconditional freedom of Nnamdi Kanu and hundreds of other protesters detained by police and DSS smacks of cowardice and insensitivity on the part of the governors of South East and the political elite of South East extraction.

The Rights group said the Radio Biafra which operates from the European continent has not violated any known law of the Federation of Nigeria since it is not even registered and domiciled in Nigeria. Besides, HURIWA said Nigeria as a country is not cast in stone so much so that no democratic process of separation could be discussed. The Rights group said that since even Scotland can organise a referendum to decide if it could secede from United Kingdom there was nothing unconstitutional if any group of Nigerians democratically canvasses self government moreover when all international humanitarian laws permits campaign for self determination.