From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
Hope has finally dimmed on the quest for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed application for the release of Kanu.
This is coming on the heels of the agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu by some prominent leaders of Ndigbo especially the late Chief Mbazulike Amaechi and former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
Ezeife was in a delegation of South East leaders to the then President Muhammadu Buhari to seek the release of leader of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
With the judgement of the Supreme Court setting aside the Appeal court judgement that ordered the immediate release of Kanu, the last wishes of the two prominent Igbo leaders especially late Mbazulike Amechi and Chukwuemeka Ezeife have been dashed.
The two political actors of Igbo extraction made frantic efforts by way of delegation to seek out of court settlement to release the IPOB leader as panacea for building and consolidating progressive South East and way to end insecurity in the zone.
Despite their roles and agitations by way of delegation and other means to appeal to the federal government to release Kanu to end incessant killings and insecurities in the zone, late Ezeife and Amechi’s requests have hit the brick walls.
Late Mbazulike Amechi while speaking at the Executive Council chambers of Ebonyi State in Abakaliki during the last visit by former President Buhari appealed for the unconditional release of Kanu.
He appealed to Buhari to release Kanu, adding that he would want to die as a Nigerian.
“Mr. President, we the leaders of Ndigbo see your visit to Ebonyi State, part of Igbo soii as very apt especially as it concerns the security situation in the country and South East in particular. I speak on behalf of the zone to appeal to you to release Nnamdi Kanu. We believe in the unity of Nigeria. Some of us here believe in the unity of the country and I wish to appeal to you as my last wish because I want to die in Nigeria”
President Buhari while responding to the request for the release of Kanu however said his Government was not going to interfer with the court process and disclosed that the court will have to determine his freedom or further incarceration.
The former governor of Anambra state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife on his part had put up strong agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and took the peaceful out of court settlement to various salient issues as only solution to end insecurity in the South East.
As the Chairman of Igbo Elders Consultative Assembly (IECA) Ezeife played prominent role in organising Igbo Consultative Assembly (ICA), a body of Igbo leaders and groups in the 19 Northern States to press for the release of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
However, their agitations and supplications could not yield any positive fruits in their lifetime as panel of justices at the Supremes Court on Friday nullified the earlier order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered Kanu’s release on bail.
Justice Garba Lawal in a judgement that was read by Justice Emmanuel Agim voided and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which in October last year ordered the release of Kanu and also quashed the terrorism charges against him.
Justice Lawal said that no Nigerian law was cited in the suit seeking Kanu’s release on mere unlawful abduction from Kenya, adding that at the moment, the remedy for such action is for Kanu to file a civil matter against such act instead of removing the powers of courts to continue with his trial for alleged criminal charges.