‘Buhari must now respect any judicial decision on the Kanu matter’– Ejimakor

Special counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Aloy Ejimakor, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will be held accountable over his promise not to interfere in the legal proceedings of his client.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in the first of a two part exclusive interview aired on ChannelsTV, Wednesday, said Kanu who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) undergoing trial on a 7-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, arms possession, and four others, preferred against him by the Nigerian government, must defend himself in court, adding that he will not interfere with the judiciary in the trial of Kanu.

Buhari while fielding questions by the Channels TV crew, insisted that Kanu should defend himself in court for peddling false information about his regime while he was overseas.

This is despite the assurances the President gave to a delegation of South East leaders back in November 19 during their visit to the State House in Abuja led by one-time Federal Minister of Aviation in the First Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, where they requested for an the unconditional release of the detained secessionist leader.

Others in that delegation were; Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former Governor of Anambra State, Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the Methodist Church, Chief Barrister Goddy Uwazurike, former President of Igbo socio-cultural group, Aka Ikenga, and Mr Tagbo Mbazulike Amaechi.

Buhari had accepted to consider the option of unconditional release of Kanu even as he had also admitted that the offer of unconditional release of the secessionist ‘runs contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers between the Executive and Judiciary.’

Buhari had told the delegation of Igbo leaders that since his tenure as president in six years, ‘ nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the Judiciary.’

He, however, promised to consider the offer of unconditionally freeing the activist.

“You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on me as leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious. In the last six years, since I became President, nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the Judiciary. God has spared you, and given you a clear head at this age, with very sharp memory. A lot of people half your age are confused already. But the demand you made is heavy. I will consider it,” Buhari told the Igbo delegation.

Continuing, the President reiterated his policy of non-interference with the Judiciary, saying; ‘when Kanu jumped bail, got arrested and brought back to the country, I said the best thing was to subject him to the system. Let him make his case in court, instead of giving very negative impressions of the country from outside. I feel it’s even a favour to give him that opportunity.’

However, during Wednesday’s interview, Buhari insisted he would not interfere with the judicial process in place for the trial of the activist, adding; ‘we cannot release him.’

“There is one institution that I wouldn’t interfere with, that is judiciary, Kanu’s case is with the judiciary but what I wonder is when Kanu was safely in Europe, abusing this administration and mentioning too many things, I thought he wants to come and defend himself on the accusations.

“So, we are giving him an opportunity to defend himself in our system, not to be abusing us from Europe as if he was not a Nigerian. Let him come here with us and then criticise us here. Nigerians know that I don’t interfere with the judiciary, let him be listened to. But those who are saying that he should be released, no, we cannot release him.

“There is a possibility of political solution. If people behave themselves, all well and good but you can’t go to a foreign country and keep on sending incorrect economic and security problems against our country and thinking that you would not account for what you have been doing. Let him account for what he has been doing,” Buhari said.

However, reacting to the President’s comments during the interview, Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor expressed the hope that Buhari ‘will be held to his commitment and promise to respect any judicial decision on the Kanu matter.’

“Buhari’s remarks on releasing Nnamdi Kanu is two-faceted. Whereas he appeared to have dimmed the prospects of an executive decision to release Kanu, he also stated that he has left it to the judiciary to decide.

“Buhari is therefore saying that he will respect and implement any judicial decision on Kanu, including an order for his release. This is not the first time he had said such a thing. He said it to Chief Mbazulike Amaechi when he made such a request two months ago.

“I hope a day will come, sooner than later, when Buhari will be held to his commitment and promise to respect any judicial decision on the Kanu matter, whether it is bail, mistrial or outright unconditional release,” said Ejimakor.