Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD a pro-democracy and Human Rights advocacy group has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to immediately obey the order of the appeal court which discharged and acquitted the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB Mazi Nnamdi of terrorism and treasonable felony among other charges.
In a statement on Monday, FENRAD called on the Attorney-General of the Federation AGF, Abubakar Malami to begin effort to release Nnamdi Kanu and then proceed to Supreme Court if he may so advise the federal government.
FENRAD wants to Appeal Court judgement obeyed before further action on Nnamdi Kanu.
“FENRAD calls on the Attorney General to, as a matter of urgency, allow the court verdict to stand on its merit for now while he pursues and presses on with the case up to the Supreme Court. In recent times, people like Omoyele Sowore, El Zakzaki, et al, have all suffered similar fate, even to a point where men of the DSS invaded the court to rearrest Sowore!.
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“The current era represents the worst nightmare for our judiciary from its get-go when houses of judges were invaded and later that of Chief Justice Mary Odili added to the list of debacle. In all of these, history will remember that one man was the Attorney General of our great nation – Malami!
“Having stated this, we ask that president Buhari adopts diplomacy in dealing with separatist agitations as kinetic approach has resulted in sit-at-home and economic boycotts that are not letting up in the East. It is sad how Boko Haram, Ansaru, ISWAP and other terror groups are given different treatment while others who call for revolution or separation are treated like the real terrorists. President Buhari is standing on the verge of history. The president can still make the Southeast to feel among if indeed he “belongs to everybody.”
“While Kanu’s case is appealable, we do not know why Malami issued his own verdict in what clearly is within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, going by court hierarchy. Let Kanu’s case be handled based on its own merit or otherwise, not based on primordial sentiments as we are yet to see stay of execution filed by the federal government on this matter,” the statement read in part.
It states further, “It still beats our imagination that even with the subsisting verdict of the Appeal Court, the Attorney General went ahead to interpret an unequivocal judgement that said, “Discharged and acquitted” as meaning “Discharged only.” Even with his “Discharge only” interpretation, Malami had informed the world that Kanu’s, contrary to the verdict, will never be discharged. This is a huge embarrassment for a nation that claims “The largest democracy in Africa.” What powers does Malami have under Nigerians laws, including the provisions of the constitution that created his office, to interpret a judgement by magistrate court, let alone that of Appeal Court. Under Malami, Nigerian courts have suffered the worst form of flagrant disrespect. Malami has not only made the exalted office of the Attorney General disdainable, he has become a judge in his own case, issuing a parallel verdict whenever a court of the land hands down a judgement that does not suit his whims and caprices.”
“FENRAD recalls that President Buhari had stated for the umpteenth time he would not be interfering with the court decision in Kanu’s matter. But contrary to his own words, President Buhari’s National Defence Council affirmed that it stands with Malami on the “Discharge only” meaning of an otherwise verdict. Integrity should have been a better path.”
