Niger Delta Forum Cautions Against #MNKOct20 Campaign, Warns of Security Risks in the Region

The Niger Delta Forum (NDF) has issued a strong warning against the planned #MNKOct20 campaign, which is being promoted by activist Omoyele Sowore and other supporters of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (MNK), leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The forum, led by Comrade Sunday Briggs, gave the warning on October 13, 2025, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, urging residents of the Niger Delta to steer clear of any protest or solidarity demonstration linked to the campaign.

Briggs said the call for mass action under the #MNKOct20 hashtag stems from arguments made by Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, who insists that his client’s ongoing trial is illegal because of the alleged extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021. Ejimakor maintains that Kanu’s extradition violated international law, thereby nullifying Nigeria’s right to prosecute him.

However, Briggs dismissed that claim, stressing that Nigeria still retains the legal authority to try Kanu for alleged offenses including treasonable felony and terrorism. He said halting the trial would set a dangerous precedent and undermine the nation’s justice system and internal security.

According to the NDF leader, the Supreme Court’s December 2023 judgment, which reversed the earlier acquittal of Kanu and ordered his retrial, confirmed that the federal government has full prosecutorial jurisdiction. “The extraordinary rendition issue, while regrettable, does not invalidate the charges against Kanu,” Briggs said. “Courts across the world have ruled that even where the process of bringing a suspect home is flawed, justice must still take its course once the accused is before a competent court.”

He referenced the United States v. Alvarez-Machain (1992) case, where an American court upheld jurisdiction despite the defendant’s unlawful rendition, noting that what matters is the fairness of the trial, not the method of arrest.

Briggs also criticized Ejimakor’s call for activists and civil groups to boycott Kanu’s trial, saying that such oversight efforts by human rights organizations and journalists help ensure accountability, transparency, and adherence to due process. “Monitoring the trial is not complicity; it is civic vigilance,” he stated. “Civil society observers can expose any irregularities, which ultimately strengthens Kanu’s defense and promotes justice.”

He further highlighted national security implications, pointing out that Kanu’s activities through Radio Biafra and IPOB’s sit-at-home orders had fueled unrest in the southeast, leading to economic losses and violent clashes. Briggs argued that dismissing the charges would embolden separatist groups and threaten Nigeria’s fragile unity.

The Niger Delta Forum also expressed deep concern that the planned #MNKOct20 campaign, reportedly aimed at pressuring the government to release Kanu unconditionally, could escalate into chaos. “We do not want our region dragged into avoidable crises,” Briggs warned. “The Niger Delta has paid a heavy price for violence and instability in the past. We will not allow any politically motivated protest to disrupt peace here.”

He urged Niger Delta youths to resist the temptation of joining movements that could attract confrontations with security agencies. “The right to protest is constitutional, but peace and stability are priceless. Let the courts handle Kanu’s matter,” he emphasized.

In his concluding remarks, Briggs reaffirmed the forum’s disapproval of Sowore’s campaign, describing it as “reckless and counterproductive.” He said the Niger Delta Forum “completely dissociates the entire region from Sowore and his co-travelers,” calling instead for calm and patience while the judiciary resolves Kanu’s case.

“The Niger Delta is not part of this agitation,” he declared. “We are for peace, progress, and respect for the rule of law.”