Kanu’s Family Rejects Amnesty Call, Demands Unconditional Release

The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has dismissed calls by the Nigerian Consultative Forum (NCF) urging President Bola Tinubu to grant him amnesty. They insist Kanu is innocent and must be released unconditionally.

In a statement on Monday, Prince Emmanuel Kanu described the NCF’s proposal as “reprehensible, defamatory, and legally indefensible.” He condemned the attempt to equate Kanu’s case with that of former police officer Abba Kyari, who is facing drug and money laundering charges, calling the comparison “scandalous and disgraceful.”

The family stressed that Kanu has no need for amnesty since the Court of Appeal had already discharged and acquitted him, ruling that his rendition was unlawful. They argued that under Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution, such acquittals are final and cannot be overturned, even by the Supreme Court.

They further criticized the Supreme Court’s subsequent decision to remand Kanu, labeling it a violation of constitutional law and a betrayal of democratic principles. “To equate a peaceful self-determination leader with an individual accused of criminal acts is intellectually dishonest and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image,” the statement read.

The family called on world powers, human rights groups, and foreign missions to intervene, warning that Nigeria’s credibility is at stake. They vowed to remain steadfast in their demand for justice, insisting that Kanu’s release is non-negotiable.