Elder statesman and leader of the Niger Delta Development Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, on Monday described as “imperious and needless” the response of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), few hours after the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was freed by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
He, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey court order and release Kanu.
Clark said even though certain activities of Kanu and IPOB followers “have been a nuisance and very disturbing”, the Federal Government went too far in going all the way to Kenya to abduct him on the ground that he jumped bail.
According to him, he decided to speak following reports on the stance of the AGF and the subsequent concurrence by the National Security Council at its meeting last Friday that the judgement of the Court of Appeal only discharged Kanu but did not acquit him of the charges for which he was facing trial.
The nonagenarian stated these in a statement he signed obtained by journalists in Abuja, titled, ‘Obey court order on Kanu, Chief Clark tells President Buhari.’
The statement partly read, “Though History, as a subject, has not been taught in our schools for many years, the evidence of the civil war and the marginalisation of the South-East, the ‘Igbos’ is there for even a ten-year-old child to comprehend; when he or she is discriminated against in even admission to the Federal Unity Schools, where even if he or she scores the highest mark percentage, the child knows he or she may not be admitted.
“I consider this stance of the Federal Government as rather imperious and needless. I, therefore, earnestly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal and order the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu in the interest of peace in the country, the South East Zone, in particular.
“Most Nigerians greeted the judgement of the Court of Appeal with elation, mainly in the South East, where there were reports of widespread jubilations across cities in the zone.
“It would, therefore, be detrimental for the Federal Government to still keep Kanu in detention and provide any pretext for malefactors to continue to take advantage of the situation in perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in the zone.
“Even though certain activities of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB followers have been a nuisance and very disturbing, the Federal Government went too far in going all the way to Kenya to abduct him on the ground that he jumped bail.
“I remember, and it is well known, that when the leaders, elders and traditional rulers of the South East pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari during a meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to release Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators in detention, the President responded that Nnamdi Kanu’s fate will be decided by the Court. And even when they (Igbo leaders) visited him at Aso Rock, the President again said the matter was no longer in his hand and the security agencies, but in the hand of the Judiciary and that whatever the Court decides would be final.
“Now that the Court of Appeal has given its judgement on the matter, I am imploring the President to obey the judgement of the Court and release the young man, and allow peace to reign. At this time, when insecurity is the order of the day, anything that would enhance the peace and stability of the country must be embraced.”