The Ndi Na Asu Bia Socio-Cultural Organisation (NNABSCO) has strongly criticised the Federal Government over the prolonged detention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warning that the development poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and judicial integrity.
In a statement made available to journalists in Asaba, Delta State, and jointly signed by NNABSCO President, Kingsley Kainebi; Secretary, Benjamin Ofochi-Atagana; and Patron, Agada Cosmas Chike, the organisation said Kanu’s continued incarceration, despite multiple court orders mandating his release, “amounts to a deliberate defiance of the rule of law and an insult to the nation’s judiciary.”
Describing Kanu as “a prisoner of conscience persecuted for his beliefs,” NNABSCO stated that his case has become a test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, equality, and human rights.
“The refusal to comply with lawful court rulings in Kanu’s case undermines the moral foundation of governance,” the group declared. “It encourages impunity, weakens public trust in the justice system, and signals the early symptoms of authoritarianism.”
The organisation accused the Federal Government of double standards, noting that “others accused of graver offences have walked free,” while Kanu remains in detention. It added that such selective justice “deepens national disunity and alienates marginalized communities.”
NNABSCO called for Kanu’s immediate release and urged the government to respect judicial independence, warning that “a government that cherry-picks which court orders to obey cannot claim to uphold democracy.”
The group further appealed to security agencies to act within the bounds of the constitution and uphold citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and free expression.
“Nigeria’s peace and progress are impossible without justice and fairness,” NNABSCO concluded. “Obeying court orders is not an act of mercy but a constitutional duty that defines the credibility of leadership”
