In a press statement endorsed by Chief Obi Aguocha, on behalf of Umuahia Critical Stakeholders on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the group expressed its concern about the health status and general well being “of our son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently in detention and is to appear for his hearing in the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
The statement further stated, “From the information available to us, it appears that only his lawyer, Chief Alloy Ejimakor has had access to him since he was detained. We are also informed that family members, his doctors and critical stakeholders from Umuahia, his constituency have not been allowed to see him”.
“We wish to state that we believe that no matter what the allegations are against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the presumption of innocence is a legal principle in Nigeria that every person accused of any offence is considered innocent until proven guilty and must be applied. Our son is entitled to the exercise of his fundamental human rights under our
Constitution, the African Charter of Peoples’ and Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“We are also mindful of the appearance of double standards in the application and administration of criminal justice between, Mazi
Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo, popularly known as “Sunday Igboho” of the Yoruba Nation, where due process is all of a sudden embraced in place of torture and abduction of Nnamdi Kanu from a foreign land as informed in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview by his Lawyer, Chief Ejimakor a few days ago.
“As has been reiterated by many well-meaning Nigerians, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, we wish to urge our people to be more prayerful for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his family and to remain calm at this moment as efforts are being made to strategically engage the Federal Government constructively in a productive rapprochement and reconciliation that would address the core issues of injustice agitating Ndị Igbo and begin the implementation of the various resolutions reached with the Southern Governors Forum.”
“Finally, we reinstate that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is our son, who is generally perceived to be fighting for the right of his people by advocating for the improved welfare of the lives of Igbo people.
Therefore, he is a political detainee. He should be given a fair hearing as enshrined in the 1999 Nigeria Constitution and under the International Charter of the United Nations Declaration of Human and peoples’ Rights as he appears in court tomorrow.”