Missing Case File: IPOB Urges FG to Free Members if Not Ready to Prosecute Suit

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the federal
government to set free its members in various detention facilities
across Nigeria if it is not ready to prosecute the court matters
instituted against it.

IPOB in a statement made available to our reporter in Awka and
signed by the Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma
Powerful, said the missing case file of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu at
the Appeal Court and the lackadaisical attitude of the federal
government towards all court matters in the country involving IPOB
was enough indication that the government was unwilling to pursue
the matters.

“With ongoing moves by Nigerian government to frustrate, through
frivolous applications and adjournments, all pending cases
involving IPOB in various courts within and outside Nigeria, we
IPOB think that the time has come for this Buhari regime to release
those held illegally in detention centres and prison all across the
country.

“It is unheard of in the history of the world that a government
is seen to be running from their own courts and afraid of legal
processes they themselves instituted against a group they labelled
a terrorist organisation.
“Normally a terrorist group or unlawful society would not want to
undergo public legal scrutiny but in the case of IPOB we have
offered and have taken this Buhari regime to court to prove that we
are a peaceful organisation pursuing our inalienable right to
self-determination.

“This Buhari administration is yet to convince the world in an
open court of law which part of IPOB right to self determination as
presently exercised, is in breach of any known law of the land. It
is the Buhari regime that is behaving like terrorists by failing to
appear and doing everything they can to frustrate and delay ongoing
cases so they won’t be cross examined under oath in an open
court.”
IPOB said till date the Nigerian government have consistently
failed to produce a single witness to testify on their behalf or
corroborate their wild accusations against it.

lt said since over two years of bringing charges and amended
charges against its leader, Kanu, alongside Benjamin Madubugwu,
David Nwawuisi and Chidiebere Onwudiwe, and numerous other Biafrans
detained across Nigeria on charges of treasonable felony and
conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, the Attorney General of
the Federation and DSS have not produced a single evidence or
material witness to substantiate their allegations that IPOB
activities is in any way illegal.

“Instead each court appearance has been turned into a drama
session by the prosecution who will either pressure Justice Binta
Nyako to adjourn on a flimsy excuse or they simply amended the
charge so the case with will start afresh. Perversely, this abuse
of court process has been sanctioned by the National Judicial
Council (NJC) because of their failure to provide adequate
protection for their judges handling IPOB cases, from the
intimidation of DSS and other government agencies.
“For example, EFCC has conveniently arranged for the ongoing
corruption case against the husband and son of Justice Binta Nyako,
the presiding judge, to be heard in the same court building and on
the same date she hears IPOB cases.

“This is a way of pressuring her to lean towards government
directive on the path the case should take or else her husband and
son will be convicted,” IPOB alleged.

The group called on Attorney General of the Federation to, as a
matter of urgency, stop this ongoing persecution of IPOB because
the more they continue to arrest, detain, charge and adjourn and
postpone cases at will, the more they make themselves the laughing
stock of the legal world.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the federal
government to set free its members in various detention facilities
across Nigeria if it is not ready to prosecute the court matters
instituted against it.

IPOB in a statement made available to our reporter in Awka and
signed by the Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma
Powerful, said the missing case file of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu at
the Appeal Court and the lackadaisical attitude of the federal
government towards all court matters in the country involving IPOB
was enough indication that the government was unwilling to pursue
the matters.

“With ongoing moves by Nigerian government to frustrate, through
frivolous applications and adjournments, all pending cases
involving IPOB in various courts within and outside Nigeria, we
IPOB think that the time has come for this Buhari regime to release
those held illegally in detention centres and prison all across the
country.

“It is unheard of in the history of the world that a government
is seen to be running from their own courts and afraid of legal
processes they themselves instituted against a group they labelled
a terrorist organisation.
“Normally a terrorist group or unlawful society would not want to
undergo public legal scrutiny but in the case of IPOB we have
offered and have taken this Buhari regime to court to prove that we
are a peaceful organisation pursuing our inalienable right to
self-determination.

“This Buhari administration is yet to convince the world in an
open court of law which part of IPOB right to self determination as
presently exercised, is in breach of any known law of the land. It
is the Buhari regime that is behaving like terrorists by failing to
appear and doing everything they can to frustrate and delay ongoing
cases so they won’t be cross examined under oath in an open
court.”
IPOB said till date the Nigerian government have consistently
failed to produce a single witness to testify on their behalf or
corroborate their wild accusations against it.

lt said since over two years of bringing charges and amended
charges against its leader, Kanu, alongside Benjamin Madubugwu,
David Nwawuisi and Chidiebere Onwudiwe, and numerous other Biafrans
detained across Nigeria on charges of treasonable felony and
conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, the Attorney General of
the Federation and DSS have not produced a single evidence or
material witness to substantiate their allegations that IPOB
activities is in any way illegal.

“Instead each court appearance has been turned into a drama
session by the prosecution who will either pressure Justice Binta
Nyako to adjourn on a flimsy excuse or they simply amended the
charge so the case with will start afresh. Perversely, this abuse
of court process has been sanctioned by the National Judicial
Council (NJC) because of their failure to provide adequate
protection for their judges handling IPOB cases, from the
intimidation of DSS and other government agencies.
“For example, EFCC has conveniently arranged for the ongoing
corruption case against the husband and son of Justice Binta Nyako,
the presiding judge, to be heard in the same court building and on
the same date she hears IPOB cases.

“This is a way of pressuring her to lean towards government
directive on the path the case should take or else her husband and
son will be convicted,” IPOB alleged.

The group called on Attorney General of the Federation to, as a
matter of urgency, stop this ongoing persecution of IPOB because
the more they continue to arrest, detain, charge and adjourn and
postpone cases at will, the more they make themselves the laughing
stock of the legal world.