The legal team representing the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday, served copies of the judgment of the Court of Appeal which freed him on the Department of State Services and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
According to them, with the handover of the court order, the Federal Government has no other option than to release Kanu from custody.
Kanu’s senior counsel to Kanu and lead counsel for IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said these in a statement on the outcome of their visit to Kanu.
The Court of Appeal (Abuja Division) had on Thursday last week, freed Kanu of the terrorism and treasonable felony charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Ejiofor’s statement read in part, “Today, being October 17, 2022, the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on October 13, 2022, which unconditionally freed Onyendu, was served on the Attorney General of the Federation – Abubakar Malami SAN, and the Director General of the DSS.
“The DSS is expected to immediately enforce the positive orders of the court and immediately release Onyendu without further ado and unconditionally.
“We shall be exploring far-reaching legal measures to command immediate compliance with this erudite court judgment freeing Onyendu, though the details of our strategic legal engagements shall remain private.”
More than 24 persons, including Pius Awoke, a member of the legal team representing Kanu are still being held by the DSS, their solicitor, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, said on Monday.
According to him, the 24 persons were part of hundreds of people in different courts in Nigeria most of whom have now become victims of forced disappearance from the custody of the DSS, Police and Nigerian Army.
“Once a person is forced to disappear, such a person loses the protection of the law. The persons under this unlawful detention are purely under the state of nature and in these days of trading in human parts, one cannot tell if they have been balkanised and sold in bits and pieces.
“We urge the Federal Government to do the right thing by producing these victims and releasing them to their families with apologies and compensation as it is not a crime to demand self-determination like the IPOB under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu has been clamouring for over the years,” he said.
Ejiofor stated these during a press conference attended by the detainees’ wives and family members in the office of Kanu’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor.
Apart from Awoke, other victims are Ikechukwu Henry, Joy Udoh aka (Idara Gold), Emeka Ngonadi, Chinedu Nwoba, Igwe Dike, Ogbonna Ajah, Kingsley Onovu, Ogbonna David, Kenneth Ojima, Fortune Okezie, Joseph Eze, Emmanuel Chinonso and Uket Godwin.
Others being held are Ogbonna Ndubisi, Eze Chukwuemeka, Ibeleme Tochukwu, Emmanuel Ike, Rev Cletus Egole, Pastor Philip Egole, Chinonso Anyanwu, Kelechi Okeke, Godspower Chilemu and Chukwuma Nwaokike.
According to Ejiofor, the detainees were accused by the Federal Government of belonging to IPOB or being close associates of Kanu and were arrested from various parts of Nigeria on various dates while their whereabouts remained unknown.
