Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has said that President Bola Tinubu, and not the judiciary, is keeping his client in detention.
He said this in an X post on Monday, days after the Supreme Court condemned the government’s treatment of Kanu but refused to order the IPOB leader’s release.
Kanu has been in detention facing trial for terrorism and treasonable felony-related offences since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021.
Many efforts to secure the separatist leader’s release have failed.
Ejimakor said that Section 174 of the 199 Constitution (as amended) empowers the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to terminate any criminal trial initiated by him or any other authority or person before judgement is delivered.
According to the lawyer, Tinubu can direct the AGF to stop Kanu’s trial as the buck ends at his table.
“It’s the President, not the Court, that is holding #MNK. Sec. 174 of the Constitution says that ‘the Attorney General can stop any criminal trial initiated by him’ against anybody. Tinubu can direct the AGF to stop the trial of MNK. @officialABAT, the buck stops at your table,” Ejimakor said.