From Victor Osula, Abuja
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, bail guarantor for leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu before he jumped bail, has called for caution and strict adherence to the rule of law in the handling of his trial by the federal government.
Kano had said during an appearance on court on Monday that he ran away to save his life after soldiers besieged his home in the southeast during an operation, “Python Dance.”
Abaribe in a statement issued to newsmen by his media adviser, Uchenna Awom, in Abuja on Wednesday, advised the federal government to be guided by the provisions of Section 31 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights as it detains and re-arraign Kanu in court for the continuation of his trial.
The relevant section and charter, Abaribe said presupposes that the detainee should be humanely treated while in the custody of the state.
“What it means is that it is the duty of the government in this instance to protect him and ensure the respect of his fundamental human rights while his trial lasts. For now, it is trite law, that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty”, he added.
However, the Senate Minority Leader called for calm, saying that the recent events presents ample opportunity for dialogue and for the federal government to address the contending issues that seem to challenge the peace and unity of the country.
Meanwhile, the British High Commission has refuted reports that fugitive leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in the United Kingdom.
The clarification became necessary after some media reported on Wednesday that Kanu was arrested in the UK.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Dean Hurlock, a spokesperson of the British High Commission, said that Kanu was not picked up in the UK where he is based.
Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had on Tuesday disclosed during a joint press briefing with the DSS and Police, that Kanu was arrested on Sunday, June 27, 2021.
However, the briefing was silent on where he was arrested. There has been considerable speculation in the media where Kanu was arrested. Ethiopia, Brazil has been speculated as the likely spots.
