The South East Council of Traditional Rulers and the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops have called on the courts to uphold Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights.

In a statement on Saturday, the group noted the challenges the lawyers of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra faced from the Department of State Security on different occasions when they tried to access their client, with a magnifying glass on Kanu’s last court appearance.

The group also stated that failure to uphold Kanu’s rights would stop any peace talk plans with the Sout East.

The statement reads in part, “The Joint Body is highly disturbed by the persistent complaints by the IPOB legal team about the difficulties it encounters in dealing with the Department of State Services and, especially, the sad events which occurred during Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s appearance in court last Wednesday, November 10.

“This Body urges the court to affirm the fundamental rights of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, his lawyers, and other stakeholders.

“Failure to do so would lend weight to the suspicion in some quarters of a planned secret trial, as well as neutralise all the efforts being made to establish peace in the South East.”

The statement also commended IPOB for heeding its appeal to call off the one-week sit-at-home order for the Anambra governorship election to hold without a major incident.

“The South East Council of Traditional Rulers and the Representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops commend Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the entire leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) for listening to our appeal and calling off the sit-at-home order. This has offered some relief to the already distressed social and economic life of our people.

“The Joint Body is relieved that the Anambra State Gubernatorial Election was conducted without any major incidents or breach of the peace. It also commends the people of Anambra State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Security Forces, the National Peace Committee, and all the other actors who contributed to the successful conduct of the election,” the statement added.