The saying “all men are born equal” comes up a lot. But when things happen, sometimes we have to wonder if some people were born better than others.
Keep in mind that on October 13, 2022, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, who had been imprisoned for a long time, won a significant victory in the Abuja Court of Appeal through his legal representatives. This victory ordered his unconditional release and prohibited any Nigerian court from prosecuting him further. The Appellate Court condemned the flagrant violation of Kanu’s human rights, including the manner in which the IPOB leader was kidnapped and transported from Kenya to Nigeria by Nigerian authorities, in violation of both national and international laws.
However, the Nigerian Supreme Court—an arm of the Nigerian judiciary—has continued to treat Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case with a great deal of contempt and reckless abandon. As with all branches of the Nigerian judiciary, the Supreme Court’s explicit mandate is to administer justice, uphold the rule of law, and protect the rights of the people, particularly those of the defenseless masses. “The judiciary is the last hope of the common man,” as it is frequently praised. For the love of God, what exactly is going on with the IPOB leader’s situation?
In one of his inspirational letters from 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King said,
“Justice is threatened everywhere by injustice. We are entangled in an unbreakable web of reciprocity, bound together by a single destiny. Everything that affects one person directly affects everyone indirectly. We will never be able to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” concept again.
Those who live in a house made of glasses should never throw stones, so the self-evident statement above should inspire everyone to work toward creating a just and sane society. However, the Nigerian judiciary, upon which the country’s natural obligation to administer justice without favor or fear, appears to be sleepwalking.
The Supreme Court must now act in accordance with its legal responsibilities in an equitable and fair manner and resist attempts to overshadow and control it from the power-grabbing executive branch. The length of time it has taken to address this particular case is alarming and highly questionable, despite arguments that the Supreme Court has a backlog of unresolved cases.
Not only is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s ongoing illegal incarceration a local controversy, but it has reached its zenith on an international scale as a number of reputable individuals and reputable organizations, such as the United Nations working group, have added their voices to proclaim his innocence.
As a result, the idea that the Nigerian judiciary is now a willing tool in the hands of the executive branch of the Federal government and has failed to independently discharge its duty to the people will only be strengthened if the Nigerian Supreme Court continues to delay its decision on this case that has been pending for a very long time. A situation like this will only lead to chaos, “for where no law rules, no rule lies.”
The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, should stand by his statements that “the court would determine the fate of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” and he should stop using fears or favors to intimidate judges.
In addition, the Nigerian public ought to demonstrate against the excesses of the Federal government in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s persistent attempt to circumvent the legal system. Because injustice is a threat to justice everywhere, if such an act continues, it will eventually affect many more innocent people in one way or another in the future.
For Family Writers Press International, Obulose Chidiebere penned the manuscript, which was edited by Enenienwite Ikechukwu.