Jarvis Johnson, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, has urged the Nigerian Supreme Court to order the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu has been in custody since his extradition from Kenya on June 19, 2021, under the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Johnson’s call comes ahead of the Supreme Court’s expected judgment on two separate appeals filed by Kanu and the federal government.
Johnson emphasized Kanu’s leadership of the IPOB, describing the group as a non-violent entity advocating for an internationally supervised referendum to address the Biafran issue within Nigeria’s polity.
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In a statement, Johnson pointed out several legal decisions that seemingly support Kanu’s release, referencing the High Court of Enugu State’s recent ruling that the classification of IPOB as a terrorist group violated Section 42 of the Nigerian constitution.
Citing prior court opinions, including those from the High Court in Umuhia, Abia State, and the Court of Appeals in Abuja, Johnson stressed that these courts had ordered Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release.
He highlighted the absence of any ongoing legal matters against Kanu and emphasized international condemnation of Kanu’s solitary confinement as a violation of human rights conventions.
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Johnson underscored the illegality of Kanu’s extraordinary rendition, both under Nigerian and international law, and called upon the Nigerian Supreme Court to uphold the judgments of its subordinate courts and international tribunals.
He urged the apex court to facilitate Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release, suggesting that such a ruling would contribute to restoring confidence in the Nigerian judiciary.
The anticipated decision from the Supreme Court on this matter is anticipated to shape the trajectory of Kanu’s ongoing detention and hold significance in the international discourse concerning human rights and legal justice.
