Kanu sends message from Sokoto prison, insists he was unjustly jailed

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has sent a message from the Sokoto Correctional Centre where he was transferred after Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja High Court convicted him of terrorism-related charges last Thursday.

A statement from his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who said he visited the IPOB leader at the Sokoto Correctional Centre in company with Maxwell Opara, said his brother urged him to tell the world that his conviction was without legal basis.

Emmanuel said his brother commended individuals of good conscience ,who recognized the injustice meted to him and rejected it.

The statement read in part:”I, Prince Emmanuel Kanu and Dr Maxwell Opara have had a meeting with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, at the Sokoto medium security prison. He has instructed me to inform the public that his conviction was without legal basis, as no individual can be convicted under a repealed law.

“His final written address which anchored on fair hearing  was also denied.  He emphasized that the evidence relied upon by the court was not included in the charge sheet or presented as evidence against him.

“Additionally, the court’s reliance on struck-out charges from Justice Binta Nyako was a significant issue. Upon reviewing the judgment, he identified numerous errors that undermined the validity of his trial.

“He urged well-meaning Nigerian justices, magistrates, and lawyers to carefully examine the judgment and uphold the laws of the land and the Nigerian Constitution.”

Emmanuel disclosed that his brother questioned the disparity between the favourable rulings in Umuahia High Court, Enugu, Appeal Court, United Nations, and Supreme Court, which stated that the laws under which he was charged are repealed and must be amended, yet were ignored.

“I am Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,who will reject injustice, unfairness, and evil against anybody regardless of your tribe, faith, and ethnic background.

“Injustice to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is injustice everywhere. I remain thankful for all your supports, prayers, and your good thoughts. Elohim, bless you all”, the statement quoted Kanu as saying.