Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has added his voice to growing calls for the immediate release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services since his controversial rendition from Kenya in 2021, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku’s statement comes shortly after Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, challenged political leaders from the South-East and other influential figures to take concrete action by leading a march to the Presidential Villa to demand Kanu’s release.
In a post shared on Instagram, Sowore criticised leaders such as Peter Obi, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, Governor Alex Otti of Abia, and Atiku himself, urging them to stop what he described as “empty noise” and instead mobilise real pressure on the federal government.
Responding on Thursday via his official social media handles, Atiku called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to comply with court rulings and release the IPOB leader.
He described Kanu’s continued detention as a breach of justice and democratic principles.
“The continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains an open sore on our nation’s conscience and a stain on our belief in the rule of law,” Atiku wrote.
“Defying court orders that granted him bail is an abuse of power and an assault on justice. I, therefore, lend my voice in full support of the campaign led by Yele Sowore for his immediate release or due prosecution.
“We fail as patriots if we allow Kanu’s case to fester as yet another wound this nation refuses to heal.”
