The embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has told people clamoring for his release not to beg for it.
According to Kanu, his agitation for self-determination is a constitutionally protected right and not a crime.
Speaking through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader emphasized that his release is a matter of compliance with existing court orders, not an issue of presidential pardon or clemency.
Ejimakor, in a press statement, said: “Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is adamant that nobody should plead or beg anybody on his behalf because he has committed no crime.
“Self-determination, which is the real issue that got twisted to suddenly become a high crime, is an inalienable right guaranteed under Nigerian law, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and Kenya. The perverse and unlawful criminalization of this right should not be encouraged through misguided appeals for pardon or clemency. Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not an act of mercy but a matter of abiding by the rule of law.”
Kanu expressed appreciation for those genuinely committed to restoring peace in Igboland, while cautioning that appeals for pardon might be misconstrued as legitimizing executive or judicial violations of his rights.
