A coalition of South-East clergymen, under the aegis of Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission, has condemned the transfer of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to the Sokoto Custodial Centre for his life imprisonment sentence.
The clergymen demanded Kanu’s immediate relocation to a custodial facility within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
In a statement on Thursday signed by Rev. Tony Uzor Anthony, the Igbo clerics said Kanu’s “sudden” transfer to Sokoto has nothing to do with justice, law and order, and everything to do with politics and punishment.
“Government officials keep repeating the excuse of “prison insecurity,” yet they are the ones running the prisons. Instead of fixing their own failures, they now use those same failures as an excuse to keep frustrating one man. We say clearly – It is wrong, it is unfair, and it is targeted,” the Igbo clerics said.
The Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission further alleged that moving Kanu to Sokoto was part of a plot to frustrate his appeal of the terrorism conviction.
According to the group, it will be difficult for Kanu to have adequate access to his lawyers in Sokoto.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has ongoing legal rights, including appeals and meetings with his lawyers. Moving him to Sokoto — one of the farthest places from Abuja courts — is clearly meant to make his legal work difficult, if not impossible.
“If the government believes its own case is strong, why is it afraid of giving him proper access to his lawyers? Why hide him far away? Why block easy communication? The answer is simple. This case has never been about justice,” the statement added.
The clergymen insisted that courts have no business deciding where a prisoner should be kept.
“It is also important to remind Nigerians that it is not the job of any court to decide the exact prison where someone should be kept. That duty belongs to the Correctional Service, not judges acting under pressure.
“The attempt to dress political orders in the robe of the judiciary is one of the biggest problems in this case.”
They therefore demanded an immediate relocation of Kanu to a custodial centre within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“The Concerned Igbo ministers commission calls for the immediate return of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a custodial centre within the Federal Capital Territory, where he can properly exercise his rights and continue his legal processes without hidden obstacles.
“An injury to one is an injury to all. This constant mistreatment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not just about one man. It is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to fairness and the rule of law.
“If this type of behaviour continues unchecked, then no citizen is safe. We cannot and will not keep quiet,” the clerics stressed.