Sun reports that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, raised the
alarm over alleged plot by the Federal Government to frustrate the case of its
leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, at the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) Court.
The group said the case instituted case against the Federal
Government and Department of State Services (DSS) ,at ECOWAS Court, over the
illegal detention of its leader, Kanu was supposed to come up yesterday (October 5, 2016), but the
Federal Government refused to appear in court.
The Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, in a
statement, said the refusal of the Federal Government and DSS to appear in
court was a plot to prolong and frustrate the case as it has done in Nigerian
courts.
According to Powerful: “We want to state that Nigeria government,
security agents and All Progressive Congress[APC], have ran out of facts in the
case concerning our leader, Nnamdi Kanu. It is unfortunate that the Federal
Government and APC cannot come to defend the illegal detention of our leader.
“It was a nervous moment for the Federal Government today at the
Community Court Of Justice, ECOWAS
Abuja, as the court ignored every threat from the Nigerian government to
conduct a hearing on Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB case which has suffered an unending
trial at the Nigerian judiciary.
“Kanu’s defence team led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor arrived the court at
exactly 10:00am while the three-man panel of judges led by Justice Friday Nwoke
from the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice arrived at about 10:10am. Ejiofor
introduced himself to the judges after which the court clerk called up the
case,” he stated.
“The Nigerian government was found to be on the run as the defence
lawyer to the Federal Government submitted a motion for his absence just few
hours before court proceedings, claiming
that he has a case today in Kaduna.”
The spokesperson noted that Kanu’s lawyer Ejiofor objected to
this, pointing out that he met him just yesterday at the court, while he
accused the Nigerian government of plans to further prolong Kanu’s case.
He quoted the presiding judge, Justice Nwoke as saying the court
case in Kaduna was not enough reason for their absence in court, stressing that
if the Federal Government’s representative failed to appear in the next court
session, he (Justice Nwoke) will go ahead to give judgment in the case between
Nnamdi Kanu and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has
adjourned the case to November 8.
The presiding judge, Justice Micah Wright, adjourned the case to the new date for definite hearing
following an application by the defendant.
Wright, however, declined the request for cost by the applicant.
The Federal Government, that was absent, had written to the court
to adjourn the case because it had conflicting case in another court.
But, counsel to the plaintiff, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, opposed the
application for adjournment and requested a cost of N1 million.
Kanu, a Director of Radio Biafra and leader of Indigenous People
of Biafra, sued the Federal Government
for alleged illegal detention.
Joined in the suit were the Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice and Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS).
Kanu, in the suit, is asking for a compensation of 800 million
dollars for the violation of his human rights and an order directing his
unconditional release and that of his personal belongings.
He also urged the court to direct the defendants to respect,
protect and promote his rights to life, liberty, freedom of movement, assembly
and expression.
The plaintiff prayed the court to declare that his arrest and
detention since October 14, 2015 by the defendant was in flagrant disobedience
to several orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.
He also prayed the court to declare that his continued detention
was a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights the United Nations Charter of 1970.
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