The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and two other pro-Biafra agitators, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu, have asked the National Judicial Council, NJC, to probe the judge presiding over their trial, Justice John Tsoho. The trio who are facing a six-count treason charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleged that Justice Tsoho had in the course of their ongoing trial, delivered conflicting rulings. The defendants, in a joint petition they filed through their lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the NJC that the trial judge indulged in “judicial rascality,” by reversing his previous ruling that barred the Federal Government from masking all the witnesses billed to testify against them.
They contended that Justice Tsoho,
having ruled on the issue, ought not have reversed himself and granted the same
application, an action they said should have been taken by the appellate court.
Besides, the defendants alleged that the trial judge denied them fair hearing
on the day it gave the prosecution the nod to produce masked witnesses against
them. Kanu told the NJC that Justice Tsoho frustrated efforts by his lawyers to
obtain the rulings as well as the record of proceedings of the court. He said
that it took the intervention of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,
Justice Ibrahim Auta before a copy of the rulings and the record of proceedings
in the matter was released to him. “The rulings were eventually given to us on
Monday, April 25, 2016, barely two months and fifteen days after the ruling of
February 9, 2016, was delivered, two months and six days after the ruling of
February 19, 2016, was delivered and one month and 18 days after the ruling of
March 7, 2016 was delivered,” he disclosed.
The IPOB leader further told the
judicial body that Justice Tsoho declined to allow his lead counsel, Muoma,
SAN, to adumbrate his written brief in support of application for stay of proceedings in the matter, even
when the rules of the court allows for 20 minutes of oral argument. It will be
recalled that the defendants had sequel to an earlier letter dated April 26
and an accompanied verifying affidavit on oath dated May 24, asked Justice Tsoho to temporarily
hands-off their trial. In a motion they filed pursuant to Section C Rule 1(A)
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and
Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the defendants applied for an
order disqualifying Justice Tsoho from further proceedings in this matter. The
three defendants had opposed FG’s application for secret trial, even as they
queried the propriety of the court allowing “masquerades” to testify against
them. Meantime, Justice Tsoho will on Monday hear the defendants’ application
to disqualify him from handling the trial. Kanu who was hitherto the Director
of Radio Biafra and Television, has been in detention since October 14, 2015,
when he was arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from
his base in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile the Indigenous People of
Biafra IPOB, yesterday, said that the compliance and successful observation of
its sit-at-home protest called by its Directorate of State, DOS without blood
shed is an expression that it is a responsible group that will achieve the
actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra in no distant time, without a blood
bath. In a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma
Powerful, IPOB said that Biafrans at home and in the Diaspora have shown the
Federal Government of Nigeria that violence does not achieve any good result
but make agitators hard and more committed to their cause. It advised the All
Progressive Congress, APC led government of President Muhammadu Buhari to
release its leader without further delay, to avoid attracting more negative
remarks from Nigerians and foreiners that once had a lot or respect for him.
IPOB statement reads: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was once a respected
man in and outside Nigeria, but the high esteem on which he was place has been
eroded by his lack of respect for the law, he is now behaving like a dictator,
and Nigerians and the world are seeing him as one, who lacks respect for the
law, somebody should tell him they Nigerians and the wold are beginning to
loose respect for him, he should release our leader without further delay to
start earning back his respect other wise IPOB issue will diminish the respect
the world have for him. “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention since
October 2015 did not do anything to deserve the incarceration he is going
through undr Buhari’s government, the IPOB members worldwide are bent on
restoration of Biafra, no government, not even Buhari’s government will stop
up, he should leave us alone and face his Nigeria government “IPOB is a
nonviolent movement that follows due process in pursuing the freedom for our
people and we are not akin to use of force in our agitation for Biafra
actualization, the Nigeria security agents were waiting to kill our people
again during the Sit- at -Home protest but we shocked them and they were
disappointed, that this time we did not give them room to kill our people
again, we will continue to frustrate them with our styles that will lead to
actualization of Biafra soon. “The protest took place in more than 97 countries
across the globe where Biafrans and friends of Biafra, lovers of freedom live,
we submitted letters to the world leaders, the United Nations UN offices across
the globe, letters and petitions were also submitted to the Presidents of
countries, Chancellors, Prime Ministers and other World leaders where Biafrans
live including the Amnesty
International, Human Right Watch”. “As our leader and Director Radio and Biafra
and Television, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu appears in court on Monday 26th September 2016 in Abuja, we expect nothing short of his
unconditional release by Buhari’s led government of APC, they should give
themselves soft landing by releasing him because all their effort in
frustrating him and forcing him to renounce Biafra failed . “We are also
calling on international community and other world notable leaders to prevail
on the Nigeria government to release our peaceful leader Mazi Kanu unconditionally and others detained in
different prisons and security cells across the country”.
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