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Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has announced a N1 million reward for any Nigerian law student who can provide a judicial precedent where a court granted a stay of execution in a criminal case where the accused was acquitted and discharged.
This pledge was made on Thursday through his legal counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 over allegations of terrorism leveled against him by the Nigerian government.
The announcement follows a controversial stay of execution granted by Justice Haruna Tsamani of the Court of Appeal in October 2022, halting the release of Kanu despite an earlier ruling by the appellate court that acquitted and discharged him. The court had found that the Nigerian government violated international law by extraditing Kanu from Kenya without due process.
A three-judge panel of the Appeal Court described the government’s actions as a “gross violation” of international treaties and the defendant’s fundamental human rights. The judges further ruled that the government’s actions undermined the entire proceedings, branding it an abuse of the criminal justice system.
Despite this, the government filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, securing a stay of execution that prevented Kanu’s release. During a press briefing on Thursday, Kanu’s legal team criticized this development, stating that it set a troubling precedent.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu pledges to reward any law student in Nigeria with N1 million if they can cite any legal precedent for denying an acquitted individual their freedom via a stay of execution,” Ejimakor stated.
The team emphasized that Kanu’s continued detention is illegal and noted that the Appeal Court had quashed all charges against him for lack of jurisdiction and violation of extradition laws.
The lawyers also referenced a Supreme Court finding affirming that Kanu fled for his safety after his residence was invaded by military forces. They reiterated that Kanu’s advocacy for self-determination is lawful under both Nigerian and international law, condemning his detention as discriminatory.
The legal team further cited a ruling from the High Court of Enugu State, which declared the proscription of IPOB and Kanu’s prosecution as unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights under Nigeria’s Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They questioned why court rulings in Kanu’s favor remain unenforced, accusing authorities of undermining the judiciary. “Are Nigerian court orders and judgments meaningless, or are they disregarded only when it concerns Mazi Nnamdi Kanu?” they asked.
Kanu’s case continues to spark debates about the rule of law and the government’s respect for judicial authority in Nigeria.
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