TheCable

Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, says the rights of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), must be respected by the federal government.

On Tuesday, Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), said Kanu was “arrested through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian intelligence and security services”.

In 2017, the IPOB leader had jumped bail and fled after he was charged with treason.

TheCable learnt that Kanu, who is based in the UK, was lured to an African country with a promise of cash donations, before he was picked up.

In a statement on Wednesday, Uchenna Awom, media aide to Abaribe, quoted the minority leader as saying the government must be guided by section 31 of the constitution and article 4 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

“What it means is that it is the duty of the government in this instance to protect him and ensure the respect of his fundamental human rights while his trial lasts,” the Abia senator said.

“For now, it is trite law, that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

While calling for calm, the minority leader added that there is still an opportunity for dialogue to resolve issues that “seem to challenge the peace and unity of the country”.