The American Military Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) has renewed its call for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who remains in Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
In an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dated February 26, 2025, AVID asserted that Kanu’s detention has shifted from a legal issue to a political one, which falls under presidential discretion. The letter, signed by AVID’s President, Chief Dr. Sylvester Onyia, and Secretary, Dr. Godson Obiagwu, referenced past judicial pronouncements in Kanu’s favor, including rulings from the Federal High Court and Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The group cited the Federal High Court’s 2022 verdict, which condemned Kanu’s rendition from Kenya and continued detention as a violation of his fundamental rights. AVID also pointed to a Supreme Court judgment from December 2023, which acknowledged that the military’s invasion of Kanu’s home in 2017 forced him to flee and that he should not be considered a fugitive.
Further referencing a January 2022 Abia High Court ruling, which found the Nigerian government guilty of human rights violations against Kanu, AVID insisted that his continued detention lacks legal justification. The group urged Tinubu to exercise his executive powers by either restoring Kanu’s revoked bail or discontinuing his prosecution in the interest of justice and peace.
AVID emphasized that the matter has now evolved into a political decision that only President Tinubu can resolve, declaring, “The buck stops at the President’s table.”
Comments