Incarcerated leader of proscribed Igbo separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has pledged the sum of N1 million for any Nigerian law student who can find a judicial precedent on “stay of execution” after an acquittal as the case is considered final.
Kanu’s legal team led by his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who made this known on Friday, said Kanu threw the challenge during their routine visit to him on Thursday, saying Kanu offered the money to any law student who can provide an authority where a judge granted stay of release of a person acquitted by the court.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu pledges to give any law student in any Nigerian University the sum of One Million (N1, 000, 000.00) Naira if such student finds any precedent on stay of execution in criminal proceedings where an acquitted person is by such order restrained from enjoying his freedom,” Ejimakor said.
“Kanu, who has been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 made the pledge on Thursday through his legal team
“It is an illegality that would hunt Nigeria for as long as life endures. But then, it was granted because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is of Igbo descendants and must suffer, notwithstanding what the law says,” the legal counsel said.
He went on to insist that Kanu’s detention was not only contentious but illegal and without any court backing.
“It is noteworthy that Onyendu’s continual detention at the Department of State Security Service is illegal and not predicated on any court Order. Recall that Onyendu was remanded on the purport that Onyendu jumped bail.
“By the decision of the Court of Appeal, all the charges for which Onyendu is being tried were quashed for want of jurisdiction and in violation of the Extradition Acts of both Kenya and Nigeria.
“Justice Tsamani of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division unlawfully granted an Order staying the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“This order was illegally granted and never in the history of any country’s jurisprudence had an acquitted person been denied his release from detention by way of stay of execution.”
Ejimakor further noted that Kanu’s long detention has continued to raise concerns because under Nigerian law, once someone is acquitted, double jeopardy prevents them from being tried again for the same offense while a stay of execution typically doesn’t apply after an acquittal.