Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called on Nigerian magistrates, judges, and lawyers to carefully review his conviction, describing it as lacking legal basis.

His appeal was made during a visit from his younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and human rights lawyer, Dr. Maxwell Opara, at the Sokoto Medium Security Prison.

Prince Emmanuel Kanu and Dr. Opara, who met with Kanu in prison, reported that he insisted his conviction was unlawful, noting that no individual can be convicted under a repealed law. He also stated that his final written address, which emphasized his right to a fair hearing, was denied.

Kanu highlighted that the evidence cited by the court was neither included in the charge sheet nor formally presented against him. He further pointed to the court’s reliance on previously struck-out charges from Justice Binta Nyako as a major procedural flaw.

He urged well-meaning members of the Nigerian judiciary to uphold the laws of the land and the Nigerian Constitution, emphasizing the need for impartiality and fairness. Kanu questioned the inconsistency between his case and earlier favorable rulings by the Umuahia High Court, Enugu, the Court of Appeal, the United Nations, and the Supreme Court, which had recognized that the laws under which he was charged had been repealed.

“I remain committed to rejecting injustice, unfairness, and evil against anyone, regardless of tribe, faith, or ethnicity,” Kanu said. He commended individuals of conscience who recognized the irregularities in his trial and expressed gratitude for the support, prayers, and goodwill extended to him.

Kanu’s appeal underscores ongoing concerns about procedural fairness in high-profile cases in Nigeria and calls for legal scrutiny to ensure justice is served. (Vanguard)