A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised the Federal Government over the prolonged detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, calling for his immediate release or a political resolution to the case.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Okonkwo described Kanu’s continued incarceration as a “failure of justice” and a violation of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“A nation that detains a human being for more than seven years and still cannot reach a judgment as to the culpability of his alleged crime is a nation that is failing in the dispensation of justice,” he said.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021, following his extradition from Kenya.
His continued detention has attracted widespread calls for release from political leaders and activists, including Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and rights advocate, Omoyele Sowore.
Okonkwo lamented that Kanu’s trial had dragged on without resolution, stressing that such delays erode public trust in the judicial system.
He said, “Justice delayed is justice denied. When it comes to the issue of crime, the Constitution is very clear — the accused or defendant should be judged within a reasonable time. It is unreasonable to keep a man in detention for almost seven years. What exactly are you judging?”
The ADC chieftain argued that no democracy should tolerate indefinite pretrial detention and that Kanu’s situation called for compassion and political maturity.
“In the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the legal processes have been abused. Nobody remains sane after being kept in jail for more than seven years while a case is still being tried. If you do not find anything against this man, release him or reach a political solution,” Okonkwo said.
Okonkwo’s remarks add to renewed calls from civil society and political actors for the Federal Government to seek a peaceful and lawful resolution to Kanu’s case, which continues to stir agitation in parts of the South-East.
