Don't Beg for My Release, Nnamdi Kanu Tells Supporters

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Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has made it clear through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, that no one should beg for his release. Ejimakor emphasized that Kanu has committed no crime and should be freed based on legal rulings, not clemency or mercy. In a statement titled “Upholding the Rule of Law Is More Important to Me Than Anything Else,” Ejimakor reiterated Kanu’s stance, stating, “Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime.”

Ejimakor stressed that Kanu’s continued detention violates court rulings, particularly a Federal High Court judgment that declared his detention unconstitutional. He argued that Kanu’s release should not be framed as an act of mercy, pardon, or executive clemency but as a straightforward compliance with the law. “The matter of releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy, pardon, executive clemency, or even amnesty. Instead, it should be an act of simply complying with the subsisting Federal High Court judgment,” he said.

The lawyer also warned that calls for a pardon could be misinterpreted as an admission of guilt. “The perverse and unlawful criminalization of his exercise of this right should not unwittingly be encouraged through some misguided appeals for pardon, clemency, or mercy,” he stated. Instead of pleading, Kanu urged his supporters to follow the approach of groups like Afenifere, Ohanaeze, and the World Igbo Congress, who have consistently maintained that he has committed no offense.

Kanu expressed gratitude to those working to restore peace in the South-East, while his legal team continues to push for his release through judicial means. His next court appearance is scheduled before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Kanu’s case remains a focal point in the ongoing discourse about the rule of law and the rights of individuals in Nigeria.

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