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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has said it is excited over the Appeal Court judgment which discharged Kanu from all the criminal charges pending against him.
This is even as counsel to Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor has called on the International community and “Nigerians of means and influence”, to intervene in persuading the Federal Government to promptly comply with the court order which discharged Kanu from all the criminal charges pending against him.
In an interview, the spokesman of the family, Prince Emmanuel Kanu said they were more excited that in setting their son free, the Appeal Court, in the end, was able to establish the truth and allow the rule of law to prevail.
“We want to thank the Justices who took part in this crucial case and who also made sure that truth and the rule prevailed at the end of the day.
“The family is also thanking the entire humanity, particularly journalists, pastors, lawyers from near and far, sympathisers, men and women who prayed and fasted.
“It is a win-win situation for the Federal Government and for us as well. This is a time to come together and dialogue, I keep saying this over and over again.
“They need to sit down with Nnamdi Kanu, he is an honourable person, he is open to dialogue, then we can take it from there”.
On what the family will do if the Federal Government refuses to release the IPOB leader, Emmanuel said, “They make the laws of this country and they are subject to the laws as well. They cannot make the law and choose to disobey the law.
“You can see the US’s opinion over Nnamdi Kanu, that of the African Union and the Nigerian court as well, so, they can’t afford to disobey all these court orders. It won’t be good for the government and it won’t also be good for investment here”.”
He revealed that Kanu’s lawyer served the DSS, the official court order and was hopeful he would soon be released.
“We have served them the court order and we are waiting for them to comply. In fact, we are still at the DSS headquarters waiting for him to be released,” he said.
Ejimakor in a statement said following the extraordinary rendition of Nnamdi Kanu last year, John Campbell, the former US Ambassador to Nigeria had cautioned in a tweet that Nigeria cannot afford any more ‘mishandling’ of the matter of Nnamdi Kanu for the sake of safety and security of the nation.
Kanu’s counsel recalled that in the wake of the Court of Appeal judgment discharging the IPOB leader last Thursday, “Nigeria’s disobedience of a 2018 decision of a continental tribunal on Kanu was the first ‘mishandling’.
“The extraordinary rendition was the second. Putting Kanu on trial was the third. Disobeying the United Nations was the fourth. And the likelihood of disobeying the judgment of the Court of Appeal will be the fifth,” the lawyer said.
