Tinubu, Shettima Will Benefit From Nnamdi Kanu’s Release – Deji Adeyanju

Deji Adeyanju, a human rights activist, believes that the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, before the 2023 presidential elections would boost the All Progressives Congress’ chances.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Deji Adeyanju said: “It will boost APC’s chances, it will boost the morale of their supporters and that would be to the advantage of the ruling party and the PDP. The only party it will affect is the labour Party who are expecting to get some significant votes from the Southeast.

“If the Federal Government decides to release Nnamdi Kanu, it will increase the ruling party’s chances of getting a favourable outcome in the election.

“It can be used by politicians as a campaign strategy in the Southeast, so they can have something to go home and campaign with.

“Like I have said, keeping Kanu does not add any value to the Federal Government; what value are they going to derive from keeping a man that the court has granted bail and said even his arrest is unconstitutional?

“You can’t build something on nothing in law, and you can’t give what you don’t have. The government can’t in any way prove the guilt of Kanu because they first have to return him back to where he was taken in Kenya. That is a small thing for any court to rule, because it’s extraordinary rendition, which is state capture and abduction of citizens – this is prohibited under international law, and there is no easy way out for the government.

“It will just be right for the government to release him because the next government may most likely release him.”

His statement comes in the background of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami’s determination not to release Kanu. Malami had stated that the Federal Government would pursue other charges against Kanu.

Meanwhile, in a related story on November 11th, Kanu had condemned the ceaseless attacks by unknown gunmen in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

The IPOB leader queried the mental state of those behind the attacks on people of the region, urged southeasterners not to embrace any form of criminality and activities of the so-called ‘Unknown Gunmen’ in their land.

Kanu gave the charge in a statement released on Thursday evening by his lead counsel, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

According to Politics Nigeria, the separatist leader called on the government to end the spate of killing and abduction of innocent citizens in the region.

The statement read: “Onyendu (Kanu) has a hard stance in condemnation of crimes and dissidents, and reiterated that he has never condoned nor supported criminality of any form. Hence, the criminal elements who are involved in making lives unbearable to our people should be immediately fished out and dealt with as such. They have no place in IPOB’s peaceful self-determination movement,” Ejiofor’s statement partly reads.

“That the general public and indeed UmuChineke, should be notified in unmistaken terms that nobody is receiving any instruction from Onyendu for the purpose of encouraging dissidents’ behaviours and accordingly, disassociates himself from any person(s) who is mischievously feeding the public with such blatant falsehood.

“Onyendu stressed that he has since made his stance public, which position is clearly contained in a viral short clip, recorded during one of his appearances in Court.

“Onyendu reiterated his call for total calmness in the entire South-East region, and particularly queried the mental state of those who are relentlessly waging war against his people, the very people he had sworn to protect and make life better for.

“Onyendu’s movement was founded on a peaceful bedrock, in consonance with the universally recognized rights of indigenous people to self-determination, as clearly encapsulated under the extant laws.

“That the activities of the dissidents/marauders who engage in criminal activities, have further emboldened the blood thirsty and untrained Nigerian security agents, to unleash unimaginable terror on innocent people of the South-East region.”