Nnamdi Kanu must not suffer harm in custody, Igbo think tank tells FG

Nzuko Umunna, an Igbo think tank, has called on the federal government to ensure that no harm befalls Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Abubakar Malami, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation (AGF), announced on Tuesday that Kanu was picked up in another country on Sunday and extradited to Nigeria.

The IPOB leader was subsequently arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja.

The court ruled that he be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending the continuation of his trial on July 26.

Reacting in a statement by Joe Odumuko and Uju Agomoh, its executive secretary deputy executive secretary respectively, Nzuko Umunna said it hopes Kanu’s arrest “accords with international law and conventions to which Nigeria is obligated”.

It asked the federal government to ensure that Kanu is fairly tried and that his security is guaranteed while he remains in custody.

It further urged the government to see to the prosecution of any person or group that has issued threats to Kanu’s life.

“We ask the Government to ensure that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights are secured to the fullest extent possible. It is noteworthy that Section 31 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights obligates the Federal Government to ensure that Nnamdi Kanu does not suffer any bodily harm while in the custody of the state and its agencies,” the statement reads.

“It bears repeating that it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to secure the bodily integrity and personal dignity of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu while in its custody. We shall hold the Nigerian Government and all state actors to account on this obligation under domestic and international laws to the fullest extent possible.

“Consistent with the pressing need to guarantee Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights, we demand the prosecution of any person or group that has issued threat to kill or inflict bodily harm on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the course of his trial. The government must demonstrate that it is not complicit in these repeated threats, especially as the purveyors have never been interrogated, arrested or brought to justice.

“We note that the trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been adjourned to July 26, 2021 and demand that the Nigerian Government and the judiciary secure his right to fair trial as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and under international law. Given that Nnamdi Kanu has been profiled as an enemy of the state, the need to ensure a fair and transparent trial becomes more urgent. Any effort to intimidate the judiciary must be discouraged by all stakeholders.”

The group further called on the federal government “to rethink its security and peace-building strategies and adopt a more conciliatory approach towards resolving national challenges”.