Kanu’s Family Rejects Amnesty Appeal, Demands His Immediate Release

By Diafa Doubra,

The family of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has rejected calls by the Nigerian Consultative Forum (NCF) urging President Bola Tinubu to grant him amnesty.

In a statement signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu on Monday, the family described the suggestion as “reprehensible, defamatory, and legally indefensible,” insisting that Kanu is not a candidate for pardon but a victim of unlawful detention.

The NCF, led by Chairman Dede Uzor Uzor and Secretary-General Dr. Frank Udemadu, had at a press briefing in Abuja suggested that both Kanu and embattled former police officer Abba Kyari should be considered for amnesty. But the Kanu family condemned the comparison as offensive and unacceptable.

According to the statement, Kanu had already been discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya was unlawful. The family argued that under Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution, that ruling remains final and binding even on the Supreme Court.

They criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to remand Kanu despite the appellate court’s judgment, describing it as a violation of constitutional law and judicial ethics.

“Equating a globally recognized political prisoner with an individual facing criminal charges is not just offensive, it is defamatory and a deliberate attempt to undermine justice,” the statement read.

The family further called on the international community, including human rights organizations and foreign governments, to intervene and pressure Nigerian authorities to obey the law and release Kanu unconditionally.

They insisted that justice must not be traded for political convenience, stressing that Kanu’s continued detention remains a test of Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and human rights.

“The Kanu family stands resolute, justice must prevail. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be freed now, and those responsible for his persecution must be held accountable,” Prince Emmanuel declared.