Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Obi Aguocha, has reaffirmed his stance on the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, stressing that the matter transcends political symbolism and goes to the heart of justice, due process, and fundamental rights in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hon. Aguocha expressed appreciation to citizens who had reached out to him following his recent comments on the legal process surrounding the IPOB leader, noting that many respondents had drawn parallels with the experiences of historical freedom fighters.
According to him, figures such as Abdullah Öcalan, Marwan Barghouti, and Nelson Mandela were not treated as ordinary detainees. Their imprisonment, he said, became defining moments in their respective national struggles and were kept in public and international focus. Aguocha emphasized that in those cases, the detainees were not denied medical access, legal representation, or basic protections under national and international law.
Citing examples, he recalled that Barghouti, incarcerated since the early 2000s, continues to be elected from prison into the Palestinian Legislative Council, with his rights safeguarded under international conventions. Similarly, Nelson Mandela, despite his long years in Robben Island, had access to legal visits, healthcare, and prisoner treatment standards that galvanized the global anti-apartheid movement.
“These demands for justice, healthcare, and legal counsel were never considered luxuries,” Aguocha said. “They served as critical indicators of how just or unjust a state had become.”
The federal lawmaker maintained that his calls concerning Nnamdi Kanu are anchored on Nigeria’s constitutional obligation to fairness, humane treatment, and equality before the law. “This is not about elevating one individual above the nation,” he insisted, “but about ensuring that our institutions remain accountable to the constitutional promises of equity and dignity. The erosion of one citizen’s rights sets a dangerous precedent for all.”
He further stressed that silence in the face of injustice amounts to complicity, particularly against the backdrop of the contributions of the Igbo people to Nigeria’s development. “Any posture of caution in the name of political convenience is nothing short of cowardice,” he added.
Aguocha vowed to continue engaging the issue, noting that as a legislator, he could not ignore the plight of a constituent whose detention has assumed both national and international dimensions, while also being exploited by unscrupulous actors to foment unrest in the Southeast.
He urged Nigerians to sustain dialogue on the matter beyond ethnic or partisan divides, but as a collective duty to uphold justice, fairness, and nationhood.
