The family of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the group itself, have dared the Federal Government over the latter’s move to get the director of Radio Biafra, who is on bail, re-arrested.
Federal Government had last Friday filed an application through Loveme Odubo of the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, averring that the IPOB leader had flouted all his bail conditions, including setting up a security outfit, Biafra Security Service (BSS), which was viewed as a grave threat to national security and unity of the country.
Speaking in Umuahia on behalf of the family, Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu said his elder brother was not afraid of being re-arrested as that would help Biafra to come quicker than imagined.
“In fact that will facilitate and fast track the coming of Biafra. On a more serious note, any attempt to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu will spell doom for Nigeria, the nation will never be the same again. Re-arresting the IPOB leader means re-arresting over 70 million Biafrans. Nnamdi Kanu is not the target, he is the symbol of Biafra today, arresting him is like arresting the whole Biafrans.”
Prince Kanu said it was laughable that one of the reasons the Nigerian government had given for seeking Nnamdi Kanu’s re-arrest was that he formed what they called Biafra Secret Service (BSS).
He said it was not true, explaining that what was put in place is a vigilance group, adding that they are harmless people because IPOB is non violent, but only uses civil disobedience as its weapon. “This group is just to police our land against Fulani herdsmen, armed robberies and all that.”
The younger Kanu said it was wrong for the Federal Government to say that the IPOB leader had flouted the bail conditions given by the court, stating: “I don’t think it sounds okay before anybody. Freedom of movement is allowed anywhere,, any day worldwide. Is Nnamdi Kanu a terrorist? So, we disagree with the Federal Government on that.”
On whether the present threat from the Federal Government would make Nnamdi Kanu to abandon the agitation, Prince Emmanuel said, “In fact, Nnamdi Kanu remains resolute and very committed to the struggle. Whatever you do in terms of intimidation spurs him on the more. These are the type of things he likes so much. So, re-arresting him will make him stronger and quicken the realization of Biafra and will also spell doom for the nation.”
Prince Kanu said his brother was granted bail on health grounds and that he was still taking treatment and had an appointment with his doctor on Monday. He added that his treatment had taken long because his brother was allegedly almost poisoned while he was in detention.
The family further stated: “The Federal Government’s current threat will never make Nnamdi Kanu to be afraid to stand trial for whatever reason. Anyday, anytime, he is ready to stand trial because he is a man who has committed no crime. He is more than happy to stand trial and challenge whosoever that comes up. He is not afraid of going to court, he is not also afraid of going to prison. He was in prison and issued the sit-at-home order and people obeyed, so, his going back to prison will make things worse for the Federal Government.
“Nnamdi Kanu and Arewa youths that gave the Igbo in the North quit notice, who between the two committed treasonable felony? It was the Arewa youths and since then, nothing has happened to them.”
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has dared the Federal Government of Nigeria to attempt to re-arrest its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Reacting to the minister’s position, IPOB accused the Federal Government of playing politics, adding that Mr. Kanu could never be rearrested.
The group also vowed that many tragic events would happen if Nigerian authorities ever rearrested the IPOB leader.
“IPOB is not doing anything about the order of [the Federal Government] through the Attorney General to revoke [a] court order and arrest Nnamdi Kanu again. We are just watching and waiting to see what is going to happen and how it will happen,” the secessionist group stated.
IPOB added, “Think about what his re-arrest would cause in Nigeria. The FG is just playing politics. They cannot arrest Nnamdi Kanu. This is not the first time they would be calling for his re-arrest. Nevertheless, a lot of people have written articles stating the tragic that will happen if he is rearrested.”
IPOB restated its advice to all Igbo to leave the Northern part of Nigeria on or before October 1, 2017. It warned Igbo resident in the northern part of Nigeria not to fall into a trap set by Northerners.
Relatedly, the President of the Igbo apex socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze, Chief John Nwodo, yesterday rejected the planned re-arrest of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the federal government.
Federal Attorney-General, Justice Minister Abubakar Malami (SAN), announced on Friday that government had approached a high court to revoke Kanu’s bail for allegedly violating the conditions attached to the bail.
But Nwodo, reacting to the AGF’s statement, accused him of bias.
He wondered why Malami failed to move against the Arewa youths who gave Igbo residing in the north an October 1 ultimatum to leave.
He said Kanu is free as a citizen to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone, as long as such a view is not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.
Nwodo, who made the association’s stance known in a statement in Abuja, warned the AGF against exacerbating the tension in the country.
He said: “It has just been brought to my notice that the Attorney-General of the Federation has approached the courts to incarcerate Nnamdi Kanu for flouting his bail conditions.
“I am amazed that the distinguished attorney is prepared to contest the superiority of the provisions of the constitution on fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association over an erroneous judicial proclamation violating those rights.
“I am equally miffed by the audacity with which the Attorney-General displays his bias without regard to his oath of office.
“A few hours ago under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and in total defiance of the Head of State’s proclamation of the rights of a citizen of Nigeria to live anywhere in Nigeria and to do business anywhere in Nigeria, the Arewa youths, pretending to withdraw their quit notice gave qualifications to the president’s proclamation, issuing conditions for enjoyment of citizenship status.”
He added: “These same Arewa Youths are supposed to have been arrested on the orders of the Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police for acts of treason, conversion and sedition.
“As the Chief Law officer of the Federation the Attorney-General looks the other way. He does not go to court to seek an order of arrest or prosecution.
“Nnamdi, as a citizen of Nigeria, is free to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone so long as it is not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.”
Nwodo said although he and some Igbo leaders had disagreed with Kanu and Radio Biafra on a number of issues, they have upheld his right to differ in the spirit of democracy.
He warned the AGF against aggravating the tension in the country by re-arresting the IPOB leader.
He said: “I and some Igbo leaders have differences of opinion with Nnamdi on a number of issues. We have been insulted and abused by Radio Biafra but we concede them their right to differ from us. We concede them their nature to be exuberant as youths but we cannot be judgmental about their rights.
“This is a democracy. In democracies leaders are abused, pelted with rotten eggs and booed at, as the former Edo State Governor was booed in Abuja a few days ago. These acts are not necessarily criminal.
“I urge the Attorney-General not to exacerbate our already tense nation by commencing a legal action which portrays him as biased, insensitive and misdirected.”
The federal government wants the Federal High Court, Abuja, to revoke the April 25 bail granted Kanu for allegedly breaching the conditions attached to the bail.
Besides, government also requests an order directing Kanu’s arrest and committing him to custody pending trial as well as any such order the court may deem fit in the circumstance.
Kanu is facing trial for alleged offences of conspiracy to commit acts of treasonable felony and other related offences.
“The offence for which he is standing trial is not ordinarily bailable but due to the magnanimity of the court and its quest for justice and fairness, he was granted bail on health grounds,” Malami said through his spokesman, Salihu Isah.
“Among the other conditions for his bail is that he should not be seen in a crowd exceeding 10 people and he should not grant any interviews, hold or attend any rallies.
“And that he should file in court, medical updates of his health status every month. But rather than observing all of the conditions listed above, Kanu, in flagrant disobedience to the court order, flouted all conditions of the bail.”
According to the government, Kanu has in furtherance to the offence he was charged, inaugurated a so called Biafra Security Service, an act it describes as grave threat to national security and unity of the country.
In a separate statement, the Kanu led IPOB said the federal government was out of order by moving for Kanu’s re-arrest.
Spokesman for the group, Emma Powerful said in a statement in Owerri that “threats and more threats heaped upon intimidation after intimidation do not wash with IPOB.”
“Merely asserting that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a threat to the Nigerian government,” according to Powerful, “is not a crime unless accompanied by legally definable crime or offence.
“Before Buhari decides to make a move to arrest our leader, he must first go to court to obtain a court order or else it will be resisted by millions of IPOB members.
“Federal government must do exactly what IPOB did, after all the matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction. When IPOB complained about the inhumane bail conditions, we were advised to approach the court for variation.
“Whatever issue government of Buhari has with our leader Kanu must first be presented before Justice Binta Nyako’s court for determination.
“Nnamdi Kanu is spiritually and mentally prepared for this epic battle. He is not afraid of being locked up without trial as long as his personal physician will be allowed to visit and attend to his medical needs.
“The Federal Government must also state where it is written in the 1999 Constitution that being in a crowd of more than 10 people, calling for election and attending rallies is a crime. Our teams of local and international lawyers are following the developments closely. That Nigeria is dangerously close to the brink of collapse today is a direct result of the first illegal arrest and detention of Kanu, arresting him again will plunge Nigeria into an unimaginable crisis.”
“We are peacefully agitating for our independent homeland for the people of Biafra. We have engaged in any armed conflict of any sort, we have not called for the expulsion of any ethnic group, neither have we declared any state within a state. Nigerian government must explain which law of the land has been violated to justify their move to re-arrest our leader.”
Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had told PREMIUM TIMES, an online newspaper at the weekend that his client had “successfully challenged the bail conditions referred to by the government.”
He was quoted as saying: “Though we intend to file a formal response to their most misconceived motion, it is my position that it does not lie in the power of the AG to ask for the revocation of the bail granted to my client. The prosecution can’t be seen at the same time as the persecutors.
“We have successfully challenged the bail terms we considered offensive to our clients constitutionally guaranteed rights. So their recent application is belated.
“Section 169 of the ACJA being relied upon by the AG can’t avail the Attorney General absolute power to ask for the revocation of bail. Parties must be heard on the merit by the court.”
Ejiofor described the alleged security outfit created by Kanu as a “mere group” formed in the exercise of the citizen’s constitutional right.
Kanu’s bail conditions preclude him from joining a crowd exceeding 10 people; granting press interviews; holding or attending rallies; and monthly filing in court medical updates of his health status.
In April, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to Mr. Kanu who is facing trial for alleged treason. The bail, which was granted on health grounds, came with certain conditions, including stipulations that the secessionist leader should not address rallies, grant interviews, or be at a gathering of more than 10 people.
Mr. Kanu has since been addressing huge crowds of people who support his agitation for an independent republic of Biafra.
