Princess Favour Michael Kanu, the wife of the younger brother of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written an open letter to Justice James K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, appealing for the urgent release of the separatist leader on health and legal grounds.

In the letter made available to Daily Independent on Tuesday, Princess Favour recalled that when Justice Omotosho first took charge of the case on March 21, many Nigerians, especially in the South East, felt renewed hope that justice would finally be served after years of what she described as ?legal inconsistencies? in the government?s handling of the matter.

?On March 21, when Your Lordship first presided over the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a breath of fresh air filled the courtroom and the entire South East,? she wrote.

?For several years, justice had not only been delayed but also blatantly denied, with the Nigerian government refusing to comply with the 14 October 2022 verdict of the Court of Appeal, which discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of all charges, awarded him damages, and set him free.?

Kanu has been in detention since 2021 after he was rearrested abroad and brought back to Nigeria.

This is despite a 2022 Court of Appeal judgment which discharged and acquitted him, but the Federal Government has since failed to release him, prompting fresh legal battles and criticism from rights groups and Kanu?s family.

Princess Favour expressed concern that, six months after Justice Omotosho assumed oversight of the case, her initial optimism had faded due to what she termed ?delays? and ?judicial setbacks?.

?We understand the complexities of navigating Nigeria?s troubled jurisprudence, especially with a federal government that often demonstrates little regard for its own judicial institutions.

?Delays, though regrettable, are not always unexpected,? she stated.

?However, with each passing day, the health of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deteriorates further. His counsel has moved for him to be transferred to a proper medical facility, yet Your Lordship denied this motion.?

Warning that Kanu?s continued detention could be seen as another ?tragic episode of justice denied,? she made an impassioned plea: ?Therefore, I make this urgent appeal: Let justice prevail, My Lord.?

Princess Favour argued that if the 2022 Appeal Court verdict is ignored or deemed erroneous, public trust in the judiciary risks further erosion.

?If that judgment is now deemed an error, then what confidence can Nigerians have in any subsequent rulings of the same judiciary?? she asked.

?We remain convinced that the 2022 judgment was fair, reasoned, and just.?

She further stressed that Kanu?s prolonged detention despite acquittal, alongside the disregard for his health, ?strikes at the very heart of justice and erodes public confidence in both the judiciary and the Nigerian state?.

?Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not merely a defendant; he is a brother, a father, a mentor, and an inspiration to millions of people across the world, not only to the Igbo people,? she added.

The letter called on Justice Omotosho to uphold the law and act swiftly.

?I respectfully call on Your Lordship to uphold the law and act with urgency?for the sake of justice today, and for the judgment of posterity tomorrow,? she wrote. (Daily Independent)

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