The United Nations Human Rights Council has once again condemned the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, urging the Nigerian government to comply with the 2022 ruling for his release. The call highlights the need for international human rights standards to be upheld in the case.
Aloy Ejimakor, the special counsel for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called on President Bola Tinubu to enforce a directive from the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group demanding Kanu’s release.
Ejimakor advised the president not to emulate former President Muhammadu Buhari, who disregarded the UN’s directives to release Kanu.
The lawyer for the IPOB leader announced this in a statement released on Saturday.
Kanu has been held by the Department of State Services since June 2021.
In July 2022, the UNHRC’s Working Group issued a landmark opinion instructing Buhari’s administration to release Kanu.
READ ALSO:Nnamdi Kanu: Tinubu Urged Not to Dishonour UN Like Buhari – Lawyer Ejimakor
The group also requested that the former president provide him with a means to receive compensation for Kanu’s arrest and extradition from Kenya to Nigeria.
Speaking about the order concerning Kanu’s release, Ejimakor stated that due to Nigeria’s membership in international organizations, the Federal Government is obligated to comply with directives and mandates from international laws and treaties.
Ejimakor stated that Nigeria is obligated to carry out this decision fully and in accordance with its explicit terms and intent. This action was expected to be undertaken without delay.
“Still, it is never too late to take action, even though Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has endured the severe hardships of an unjustified detention for three and a half years.”
The lawyer urged Tinubu to release Kanu, stating that the president didn’t require a court order to allow the IPOB leader to regain his freedom.
