“Find a Legal Precedent for Stay of Execution After Acquittal, Win N1 Million” – Nnamdi Kanu Challenges Law Students

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has pledged to pay N1 million to any Nigerian law student who can provide a judicial precedent where a judge granted a stay of execution in a criminal case after the accused had been acquitted and discharged.

Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 on terrorism charges filed by the Nigerian government, made the pledge through his legal team, led by his Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor.

His challenge follows an October 2022 ruling by Justice Haruna Tsamani of the Court of Appeal, which granted the Nigerian government a stay of execution on an earlier appellate court judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu of all charges. The court had ruled that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya was illegal and violated international law, rendering the entire trial process null and void.

Despite this ruling, the Nigerian government filed an appeal at the Supreme Court and secured an order preventing Kanu’s release. His legal team argues that this decision is unprecedented, as no court in Nigeria has ever granted a stay of execution in a criminal case where the accused has been acquitted.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Kanu’s lawyers described his continued detention as illegal, emphasizing that there is no valid court order justifying his stay in DSS custody. They pointed out that the Court of Appeal had already quashed all charges against him, ruling that his extradition from Kenya violated both Kenyan and Nigerian laws.

Kanu’s legal team confirmed his N1 million pledge, stating: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu pledges to give any law student in any Nigerian university the sum of N1,000,000 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.”

They further criticized what they described as a pattern of legal double standards, alleging that Kanu’s continued detention is politically motivated. They referenced a Supreme Court finding that acknowledged Kanu fled Nigeria in 2017 to escape military operations against him, rather than to evade trial.

Additionally, the lawyers cited an October 2023 ruling by the Enugu State High Court, which declared that the proscription of IPOB and the prosecution of Kanu based on his political beliefs violated his constitutional rights. Despite these rulings, they argued, authorities have ignored the judiciary’s decisions in Kanu’s case.

They questioned why court judgments favoring Kanu remain unenforced, stating: “Are Nigerian court orders and judgments useless, or are they only useless when they affect Mazi Nnamdi Kanu?”

Kanu’s legal team maintains that his advocacy for Biafra is within his constitutional rights and insists that those prosecuting him are the true violators of the law. They continue to demand his immediate release in line with court rulings that have cleared him of all charges.