Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, has called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Sowore made this plea during an interview on Arise Television, emphasizing that justice is crucial for peace and progress in Nigeria.
“I would like to take this opportunity to request the release of Nnamdi Kanu. It is time for reason to prevail in the Nnamdi Kanu situation. This entire ordeal has been unnecessary,” Sowore stated. He further added, “If you are not going to continue with President Buhari’s policies that have harmed the economy and weakened the currency, then you should not continue with his oppressive measures. It is time to apologize to all the individuals who have been affected during Buhari’s eight-year administration and hold accountable those officials who committed atrocities under his government.”
It should be noted that Nnamdi Kanu has been in custody since June 2021, following his abduction in Kenya and subsequent extradition to Nigeria by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in collaboration with the Kenyan government, in violation of national and international laws and treaties.
Furthermore, Sowore expressed his belief that he deserves an apology from the Nigerian government for his arrest and detention in 2019. When asked about whether he would demand an apology after the Federal Government dropped the charges against him, Sowore responded by saying, “I do not need to demand an apology. I deserve an apology from the Nigerian government, as a matter of fact.”
Recall that Sowore was arrested and detained by Nigeria’s intelligence agency, the Department of State Services (DSS), in August 2019 for advocating for a revolution under the government of then-President Muhammadu Buhari. Although he was later released on bail, he was prohibited from leaving the country as part of the bail conditions.
However, a Notice of Discontinuance was issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja, stamped on Thursday and signed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Wednesday. The notice stated that the complainant, the Federal Government of Nigeria, intended to discontinue the case against Sowore. The notice cited the powers conferred on the Attorney General under relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act as the basis for the discontinuation.
