Obey Court Order on Nnamdi Kanu, Clark Tells Buhari
Emameh Gabriel in Abuja
Niger Delta statesman and leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark has called on President Muhammadu Bubari to release the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who was recently discharged of terrorism charges by an appeal court.
Clark made the call in a statement in Abuja yesterday, expressing disappointment over the stance of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the subsequent concurrence by the National Security Council at its meeting last Friday, that the judgement of the Court of Appeal only discharged Kanu, but did not acquit him of the charges for which he was facing trial.
The former federal commissioner said: “I consider this stance of the federal government as rather imperious and needless. I, therefore, earnestly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal and order the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu in the interest of peace in the country and the south- east in particular.
“Most Nigerians greeted the judgement of the Court of Appeal with elation, mainly in the south east, where there were reports of widespread jubilations across cities in the Zone. It would, therefore, be detrimental for the federal government to still keep Kanu in detention and provide any pretext for malefactors to continue to take advantage of the situation in perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in the zone.
“Even though certain activities of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB followers have been a nuisance and very disturbing, the federal government went too far in going all the way to Kenya to abduct him on the ground that he jumped bail.”
Clark recounted how leaders, elders and traditional rulers from the south east pleaded with Buhari during a meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to release Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators in detention.
He said, “the President responded that Nnamdi Kanu’s fate will be decided by the court and even when they (Igbo leaders) visited him at Aso Rock, the president again said the matter was no longer in his hands and the security agencies, but in the hand of the judiciary and that whatever the court decides would be final.
“Now that the Court of Appeal has given its judgement on the matter, I am imploring the president to obey the judgement of the court and release the young man, and allow peace to reign. At this time, when insecurity is the order of the day, anything that would enhance the peace and stability of the country must be embraced.
“Instructively, President Muhammadu Buhari should, without further ado, honour the order of the court and allow Nnamdi Kanu to be released, perhaps, with conditions that he would maintain the peace and work to bring to an end the needless Monday sit-at-home order, which has disturbed businesses and civil activities in the south east. I am certain that Kanu’s release from detention will also expose those perpetrating the kidnappings and horrifying killings of security officers and other innocent citizens in the zone”, he added.
