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| Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra. |
— ABUJA
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has drawn parallels between the current detention of pro-Biafra leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the tragic events surrounding the annulled June 12, 1993, election in Nigeria.
In a statement, Sowore accused the Nigerian authorities of employing similar tactics of judicial manipulation and public deception seen during the struggle to validate the June 12 election, which culminated in the death of its presumed winner, Moshood Abiola.
Sowore alleged that the government is using the judiciary to delay justice in Mr. Kanu’s case, stating, “They kept saying, ‘Abiola’s case is in court,’ using that as a shield for tyranny, until they eventually killed him a day before his ‘supposed’ release.”
He claimed the same tactics, fake narrators, staged protests, and abuse of legal processes are being deployed against Mr. Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Having observed Mr. Kanu during his court appearance on October 16, Sowore described the activist as “very ill” and urged immediate action to prevent another tragedy. “History is repeating itself before our eyes,” he warned, calling for public resistance to what he termed the “bloodthirsty Nigerian elite club” before Mr. Kanu becomes another victim.
The call for Mr. Kanu's release has found support beyond the pro-Biafra movement. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other political figures have demanded for his release, calling the continued imprisonment “unnecessary” and a violation of the rule of law.