The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has come under fire from the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) over the acquittal of Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The group claimed that Malami’s actions are seriously driving Nigeria into a state of ridicule on a regional and global scale, with far-reaching effects on the nation’s socioeconomic advancement, regional and global human rights, the rule of law, and democracy rankings.
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Kanu was released and found not guilty on Thursday by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, but a statement from the attorney general’s office argued that Kanu was simply discharged and not freed because he still faced a number of charges.
The board of trustees chairman of Intersociety, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, issued the following statement to the press: “Intersociety hereby strongly condemns the Nigerian Government’s complete disregard and disobedience to the landmark judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal quashing the entirety of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s criminal trial.
“It must be made very plain and emphatically understood that the Attorney General of Nigeria, who serves as the country’s chief legal officer, has two choices: fully acquiesce to the historic ruling, or file an appeal within the allotted time limit.
Nnamdi Kanu must first be released, with the worst case scenario being that he is placed under a civil liberties-compliant mobility surveillance, should the Nigerian government decide to use its legal authority to petition the Supreme Court.
According to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, “The Nigerian Government’s disrespect and disobedience to the unanimous judgement of the three Justices of the Court of Appeal was expressly mentioned in.”
The organization deemed it unacceptable for the Attorney General to seize personal interpretation authority.
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“The landmark judgment’s decision-making process for what to obey and what to disobey is authoritarian, annoying, and democratically disastrous.
It continued, “However, it is immaterial to the ruling of the three Justices-led Court of Appeal: Release Nnamdi Kanu from his DSS dungeon. Consent or lack thereof to the landmark judgment.”
