Judgment on Nnamdi Kanu’s bail inappropriate, bias – IPOB
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The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, United Kingdom branch has
faulted the reasons given by Hon. Justice John Tsoho of the Abuja
Federal High Court Abuja for not granting the bail application of leader
of IPOB and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement signed by the spokespersons for IPOB in United Kingdom
Mr. Emma Nmezu, a lawyer, and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya IPOB
said the Honourable Justice Tsoho premised his judgment for not granting
bail to Mr. Kanu on three reasons.
Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, sandwiched between security operaives, leaving the court yesterday in Abuja.
“The reasons according to him are, that Mazi Kanu was a threat to
national security, secondly, that if released might commit the same
offence again and thirdly, that there was a probability that Nnamdi Kanu
might jump bail because he possessed dual citizenship.
“While the first and the third reasons are very clear, but
unsustainable statements, we are at loss with the second reason and do
not know exactly what the Hon. Justice meant by “might commit the same
offense again”
“To the best of our knowledge, Mazi Kanu has not even been tried in
the court not to talk of being convicted, therefore, we do not
understand the offence he was found guilty of committing and for which
he will likely commit again if released, according to Hon. Justice
Tsoho.
“Is it a possibility that the Hon. Justice Tsoho misspoke or that he
never actually uttered this travesty of a statement. On the first reason
adduced, we are yet to get detailed information on what the Judge meant
by “threat to National Security” because we know that Mazi Kanu is not
associated with Boko Haram or any terrorist organization. Again we are
pushed to believe that Hon. Justice Tsoho misspoke,” said IPOB.
“We are however shocked on the third reason, to hear that a denial of
bail will be based on the accused person’s dual citizenship, even
though the Honourable Judge did not mention the other country to which
Nnamdi Kanu is a citizen, we know he was referring to Britain.
“But we also know that there is extradition agreement between Nigeria
and Britain and extraditing Mazi Kanu to Nigeria, should he flee to
Britain will not be a problem for the Nigerian government,therefore, we
conclude that the judgment of Hon. Justice Tsoho is inappropriate,
biased, wrong, and must be overturned by an Appeal Court Judge.
Similarly, the IPOB Media and Publicity Officer Mr. Emma Powerful has
faulted the denial of bail to Mr. Kanu, describing it as a systematic
denial of the entire South Eastern Nigeria of their right.
He said that every day the present administration of All Progressives
Congress, APC, and their leader President Muhammadu Buhari keeps
exposing itself to the world that it has no respect for the rule of law
and orders of competent court of law.
He wondered why in a country like Nigeria, people will not be allowed
to engage in peaceful demonstrations and protests, wondering whether it
will be better for them to engage in violent demonstrations and
protests and carrying guns and throwing bombs like the Boko Haram
insurgents.
“We are being pushed to the walls, our members who were engaged in
peaceful protest in Aba, Abia state and Port Harcourt Rivers State were
shot by the Army and taken to Militaryn barracks in Afikpo Ebonyi state
and Bori camp in rivers State with bullet wounds.
“The victims are undergoing torture and other inhuman treatments, as
they bring them out every morning, torture and engage them in all
manners of hard labours and ask them about their missing guns as if IPOB
members carry guns.
“We do not carry guns and do not intent to carry in the nearest
future, we are therefore calling on Amnesty International, all human
rights organizations and the international community to prevail on the
Nigerian government respect the rule of law and the orders of the
courts, as at the last count our members arrested in Aba are 25 while
those in Port Harcourt are 18 in number, totaling 43 people detained in
the two Army barracks in Ebonyi and rivers States respectively” he said.
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