In a significant development, the international counsel for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called for his trial to be thrown out.
Mr. Bruce Fein, a US-based attorney, has written an open letter to Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the letter, Fein urges the judge to dismiss all charges against Kanu. He argues the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
The central point of his argument is that the Nigerian government cannot benefit from its own illegal actions. Fein points to Kanu’s arrest in Kenya, which he labels an “abduction and extraordinary rendition.” He states that a government should not profit from such serious violations of international law.
Fein referenced previous rulings from both United Nations bodies and Nigerian courts. These rulings found that the Federal Government broke international law in the way it brought Kanu to Nigeria. The alleged acts of kidnapping and torture are considered serious crimes under international law. Because of this, Fein contends, Nigerian courts have lost the legal authority to try Kanu.
The attorney warned that ignoring these violations could have legal consequences. He suggested that those involved, including the court, could face scrutiny from international legal bodies like the International Criminal Court.
Fein’s final plea to Justice Omotosho was to dismiss the case to uphold justice and avoid complicity in the government’s alleged unlawful actions.
