The Presidency has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not succumb to public pressure or illegal protests demanding the release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, emphasizing that justice will only be served through due legal process.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, in a statement on Monday, said protests, mob actions, and inflammatory remarks do not promote justice but rather undermine the rule of law.
“Protests, threats, attempts at mob actions, and inflammatory rhetoric do not aid the judicial process,” Mr. Dare said. “Instead, they hinder it, creating unnecessary tension and undermining the rule of law.”
‘Courts, Not Streets, Decide Justice’
The statement criticized activist Omoyele Sowore and others who recently led demonstrations calling for Mr. Kanu’s immediate release, describing their actions as misguided and illegal.
“Matters of justice are resolved in courts, not on the streets or through bravado and hysteria,” Mr. Dare stated. “Sowore’s courting of public sympathy to interfere with judicial proceedings is outdated and counterproductive in a modern democracy.”
‘Kanu’s Case Predates Tinubu Administration’
Mr. Dare clarified that Nnamdi Kanu’s trial predates the Tinubu administration and remains strictly within the jurisdiction of the judiciary.
“It is important to note that the case of Nnamdi Kanu predates President Tinubu’s administration. The matter remains firmly within the jurisdiction of the judiciary, where it is following due process in accordance with the law,” he said.
‘Such Protests Won’t Happen in the U.S. or Europe’
Mr. Dare argued that no one could organize such demonstrations in Europe or America demanding the release of someone facing terrorism charges.
“Sowore and his team can never try these stunts in Europe or America. You cannot employ protest and civil unrest to demand the release of someone accused of terrorism and whose case is still in court,” he said.
Tinubu Committed to Rule of Law
The Presidency reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to democracy, justice, and judicial independence, stressing that the courts must be allowed to operate without interference.
“The judiciary should be left alone to do its work without interference. President Tinubu remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice is served fairly and transparently,” Mr. Dare emphasized.
He added that while freedom of expression is guaranteed in a democracy, every freedom has limits, and testing those limits could invite the full application of the law.
Mr. Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been detained since 2021 after being arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He faces multiple terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Human rights groups and some political activists have repeatedly called for his release, but the Federal Government insists the matter must run its full course in court.
