Chief Obi Aguocha, (Udo Ji Agu-Ohuhu) Umuahia, Abia State has reiterated that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a political detainee, and must be given a fair hearing, on July 26, Chief Obi Aguocha tells FG.
Obi Aguocha stated this in a statement made available to Famous Reporters, today, Sunday, July 25, which he signed on behalf of Umuahia Critical Stakeholders on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
He regretted that not less than two letters had been written by the ‘Critical Stakeholders on Kanu’, addressed to the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS) seeking his approval for the administrative leaders of his kith and kin, amongst other critical Umuahia stakeholders to visit kanu.
It would be recalled that Kanu, a dual citizen of British and Nigeria detained been on detention at the office of the Nigerian secret police, Department of State Services, DSS since his rearrest and repatriation from Kenya, on June 29, as his trial has been slated for July 26 for allegedly jumping bail in 2017.
Udo Ji Agu-Ohuhu, insisted that as a political detainee, Kanu 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”, he said.
The statement read in detail:
NNAMDI KANU : PRESS STATEMENT BY CHIEF OBI AGUOCHA (UDO JI AGU-OHUHU)
UMUAHIA, ABIA STATE, DATED 25TH JULY, 2021.
▪️For immediate release.
- We wish to state categorically that we are concerned 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.
- From the information available to us, it appears that only his lawyer, Chief (Barr) 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 point out that two letters have been written by the undersigned to the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS) seeking his approval for the administrative leaders of his kith and kin, amongst other critical Umuahia stakeholders to visit him. (These letters are dated 1st of July and 9th of July respectively). At the point of issuing this statement, no response has been received from the DSS.
- Further, 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 offense 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 reapproachment 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.
Signed………….
Chief Obi Aguocha,
(Udo Ji Agu-Ohuhu) Umuahia, Abia State on behalf of Umuahia Critical Stakeholders on: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
