A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on the federal government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, describing his prolonged detention as a failure of justice.
Okonkwo, who is also a legal practitioner and former spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, made the appeal on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021, a situation that has drawn widespread calls for his release. Among those who have previously made similar appeals are Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and activist Omoyele Sowore.
Okonkwo lamented that Kanu’s continued detention without a conclusive judgment reflects the shortcomings of Nigeria’s justice system.
“A nation that detains a human being for more than seven years, yet cannot even reach a judgment as to the culpability of his crime, is a nation that is failing in the dispensation of justice,” he said.
Citing Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, Okonkwo argued that the delay in adjudicating Kanu’s case undermines public confidence in the rule of law.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. When it comes to the issue of crime, the Constitution is very clear that the accused should be judged within a reasonable time. It is very unreasonable to keep a man in detention for almost seven years. What are you judging?” he added.
The Nollywood actor-turned-politician further noted that no individual should endure such lengthy pretrial detention.
“In the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the legal processes have been abused. Nobody remains sane to be in jail for more than seven years while a case is being tried,” he said.
Okonkwo urged the government to consider a political resolution to the matter, saying it would help ease rising frustration and restore faith in the justice system.
“People are frustrated. People believe that if you do not find anything against this man, release him or reach a political solution,” he concluded.
