The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has asked President Bola Tinubu to use his position to explore all legal options to free Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), for the benefit of the south-east region.
This request comes shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja rejected Kanu’s bail application.
Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, made this plea during the ordination of the Auxiliary Bishop of Orlu Diocese in Imo State on Wednesday.
Most Rev. Ugorji believes that releasing Kanu will help improve the economy and security in the South East.
He also mentioned that Kanu’s ongoing detention is a major factor contributing to insecurity in the region, and the weekly Monday sit-at-home protests are causing significant economic losses for businesses in the South-East, amounting to billions of naira.
Justice Binta Nyako from the Federal High Court in Abuja refused to grant bail to Kanu on Tuesday. Instead, the court decided to speed up the trial of the embattled IPOB leader, who is facing charges related to a treasonable felony.
Kanu, who was in court on Tuesday, has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since his arrest in June 2021.
During the ruling, Justice Nyako stated that the court will only focus on expediting the trial and instructed the prosecution to present their first witness.
However, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, stating that they cannot proceed with the trial without being able to communicate with their client.
Ejimakor mentioned the challenges of meeting with Kanu while he is in DSS custody, where their conversations are monitored, and Kanu is still wearing the same clothes that the court had ordered to be changed.
He claimed that his client was being treated unfairly, which he believed violated the Nigerian Constitution.
