Stop this political persecution of Nnamdi Kanu. Release him now - HURIWA demands

Stop this political persecution of Nnamdi Kanu. Release him now - HURIWA demands 

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has again demanded for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu will be appearing in court tomorrow following the phantom charges or treason against him. HURIWA, urged 'General' Muhammadu Buhari to end his “persistent political persecution” of Kanu, the Director of the Britain-based Radio Biafra and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The group has also called for negotiated and peaceful resolution through constructive dialogues of the agitations by some youth for the actualisation of the state of Biafra.

Arguing that the prolonged detention under dehumanising conditions of the founder of the Radio Biafra by the President Muhammadu Buhari amounted to the use of psychological and physical torture against voices of dissent.

HURIWA said this pattern of unduly overstretched detention and willful disrespect to the reported bail orders represents a serious breach of the human rights of the detained leader of IPOB and an abuse of power particularly since it is a notorious fact that twice the government disobeyed a binding bail orders granted in favour of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu by competent courts of law.

The group submitted that under the constitutional norms which we operate the head of the executive branch of government is obliged to comply with binding decisions of competent courts of law just as it further stated that under section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria all accused persons are presumed innocent until a contrary determination is made by the court of law.

Besides, HURIWA in a statement jointly endorsed by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affaires Director Miss Zainab Yusuf said the reported success of the September 23rd 2016 “stay-at-home” order issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its affiliates in the South East of Nigeria is a clear demonstration that it is now more than ever urgent that meaningful and constructive dialogues towards a peaceful resolution to the groundswell of agitations for self-determination are started.

HURIWA also cautioned undesirable element within the security forces to desists from committing extra-legal killings of members and suspected sympathisers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) just as the group advised the Federal government not to fritter scarce public fund in procuring the services of hirelings and fraudsters who purports to have set up factional groups within IPOB.

“For the avoidance of doubts, may we restate our advocacy for the convocation of a national reconciliation and peace commission to be headed by such statesmen as Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Professor Wole Soyinka or Chief Emeka Anyaoku the erstwhile Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Community, to mediate and negotiate a lasting truce to the growing agitations in the South East of Nigeria and the Niger Delta region. President Muhammadu Buhari must demonstrate formidable willingness and determination to opt for peaceful resolution rather than his current 'Superman's' approach of deploying crude tactics of forcefully attacking peaceful protesters in the South East of Nigeria. ”

HURIWA recalled that On October 18, 2015, it was reported that Mr. Kanu had been kidnaped in Lagos State by Nigeria’s secret police- the Department of State Services (DSS).

Conversely, Mr. Kanu reportedly told his solicitors that he was, on 14th October, 2015, arrested by the agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the State Security Service (SSS) in his hotel room at the Golden Tulip Essential Hotel Ikeja, Lagos State.

HURIWA further recalled that the solicitors in a press briefing said, between 14th and 17th October, 2015 their clients’ whereabouts were unknown until 18th of October, 2015, when the Press Media broke the news of his arrest and detention by the SSS in Abuja. The news of the arrest of Mr. Kanu generated mass protests across parts of Delta State, Enugu State, Rivers State, Cross River State, Abia State, Imo State, Akwa Ibom State and Anambra State.