Dare Babalola
A legal practitioner and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has stated that the Nigerian justice system has failed the citizens.
Okonkwo said this on Monday while reacting to the continuous incarceration of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Calling for Kanu’s release during an interview on Channels Television, the actor demanded a political solution to the case, lamenting that agitator has been incarcerated for seven years.
Okonkwo decried the poor dispensation of justice in the country, claiming that many people are frustrated with the government’s handling of the case.
Quoting Section 36 of the Constitution, Okonkwo said every Nigerian is deemed to be innocent until proven guilty.
“A nation that detains a human being for more than seven years. You have him in your custody and yet you couldn’t even reach a judgment as to the culpability of his crime is a nation that is failing in the dispensation of justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. When it comes to the issue of crime, the Constitution is very clear that the accused or defendant should be judged within a reasonable time. It is very unreasonable to keep a man in detention for almost seven years. What are you judging,” he asked.
Kanu, the embattled IPOB leader, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, since his re-arrest in June 2021.
Since then, several calls have been made for his release. Some actors, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, as well as regional governors from the South-East, have repeatedly urged the Federal Government to release the IPOB leader.
Early today, Human rights activist, Sowore Omoyele and some supporters of Kanu protested in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of the IPOB leader.
