Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention Continues Amid Court Order Defiance – Abia Community Speaks Out

Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze, a community leader from Afaraukwu Umuahia in Abia State—Nnamdi Kanu’s hometown—has alleged that the continued detention of the IPOB leader stems from the Nigerian government’s disobedience of court orders. Ndubueze, who serves as the President General Emeritus of Afaraukwu Umuahia, made the statement available to newsmen on Saturday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a communiqué titled “Kanu, Sowore and the Lies of Charles Ogbu”, Ndubueze challenged claims made by public affairs analyst Charles Ogbu regarding the planned protest march to the Presidential Villa demanding Kanu’s release. Ogbu had suggested that the protest could delay Kanu’s freedom, but Ndubueze countered that the courts are not responsible for his detention. He also disputed claims linking Kanu to insecurity in the South-East.

Ndubueze said, “Charles Ogbu wants the public to believe Kanu’s case is a typical court matter being delayed by his lawyers. That is false. The Appeal Court discharged Kanu in October 2022, ruling that his kidnapping from Kenya and forced return to Nigeria was illegal, and no Nigerian court has jurisdiction to retry him. His detention now is solely due to government defiance of court orders. If Nigeria were functioning normally, Kanu would have been home long ago.”

He criticized Ogbu’s comparison of Kanu’s trial to that of Simon Ekpa in Finland, noting, “Finland is not Nigeria. Ekpa was never kidnapped or tortured, and their courts enforce the law. Nigeria’s leaders do not. Such comparisons are misleading.”

Ndubueze expressed support for the planned protest organized by Omoyele Sowore, emphasizing the right to peaceful demonstration. “Protesting is a human right. Those who warn against it are only helping oppressors continue their abuses unchecked,” he stated.

On claims linking Kanu to South-East insecurity, Ndubueze asserted, “The region was peaceful while Kanu was abroad. Violence erupted only after his detention and the deployment of soldiers across Igboland. Reports by Amnesty International and others confirm that many ‘unknown gunmen’ were government agents attempting to tarnish Kanu’s image. Blaming him is dishonest.”

He dismissed assertions that Kanu orchestrated the Monday Sit-at-Home, attributing the campaign to Simon Ekpa instead. “Kanu repeatedly called for the cessation of sit-at-home orders while in court. The unrest arose from public anger over his unlawful detention, not his directives,” Ndubueze explained.

Ndubueze also condemned Ogbu and politicians who he claims betrayed the Igbo people. “The real enemies of the Igbo are governors who deployed soldiers against their own youth, politicians who proscribed IPOB, and commentators like Ogbu who amplify lies for the oppressors. Kanu, despite imperfections, inspired young Igbos to assert their rights and dignity, and it is this message that threatened corrupt leaders,” he added.

He concluded, “Ogbu’s article serves to confuse and mislead. History will remember Kanu among heroes like Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe, while those who defend oppression with their pens will be remembered differently.”