On Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) took to the streets of Abuja in a bold and peaceful protest, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Led by its National President, Comrade Atiku Isah (GCNS), the students declared that Kanu’s continued detention in defiance of multiple court rulings amounts to a grave injustice and a dangerous assault on democracy.
“We find it difficult to understand why Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still in detention when courts of competent jurisdiction have granted him bail before. Justice delayed is justice denied,” Isah thundered.
The student body condemned what it described as the government’s double standards—negotiating openly with armed bandits while keeping a political agitator locked up.
“A few weeks ago, bandits openly displayed dangerous weapons while sitting with government representatives to negotiate peace after killing innocent citizens and destroying property. Yet, Mazi Kanu, who only demanded fair treatment for his people, is being treated like a criminal. This is hypocrisy of the highest order,” the NANS leader declared.
The students warned that Nigeria’s unity cannot be built on injustice and selective application of the law. They insisted that freedom of expression is a right, not a privilege, and vowed to resist tyranny wherever it rears its head.
“It is the right of every aggrieved Nigerian to speak out. NANS will continue to resist injustice because an injury to one is an injury to all. We will not be silent while injustice festers,” Isah said.
Marking the October 1st Independence anniversary as a day of sober reflection, the students challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act swiftly and release Kanu, stressing that history would judge him on the side of justice—or betrayal.
The protest ended without violence, but the message was unmistakable: NANS will not back down until, in their words, “justice is served and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu walks free.”
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