A United States-based Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Augustine Odimmegwa, has issued a strong demand for the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement released on Sunday, Fr. Odimmegwa, who coordinates the US-based non-profit Rising Sun, condemned Kanu’s continued detention as a “shameful abuse of justice” and a violation of both Nigerian and international law.
The cleric vehemently argued that Kanu’s transfer to Nigeria in 2021 was an “abduction,” not a legal extradition.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should not be in detention for one more day. He was abducted, not extradited. The law is clear — when a man is taken illegally from another country, no court in Nigeria has any right to try him,” Fr. Odimmegwa stated.
He further claimed that the case against Kanu is legally flawed, alleging he was charged under a repealed terrorism law. Fr. Odimmegwa also pointed to the Court of Appeal’s previous ruling to discharge Kanu, which has been disregarded.
“We are not asking for favours — we are demanding justice under the law. If one man’s rights can be trampled, no one is safe,” the priest concluded.
