The Chairman of the
caucus, Sen. Enyinnaya Abarib
The Senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe,
has written the Nigerian High Commissioner to Israel, His
Excellency, Enoch Duchi, to confirm if the leader of the Indigenous
Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is in Israel.
Abaribe wrote through his lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume,
SAN.
The senator, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, was one of the three
individuals who stood surety for Kanu when he was granted bail by
an Abuja Federal High Court.
Kanu is standing trial for treasonable offences in the Federal
High Court.
The letter dated November 7, 2018 was sent through the Minister
for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema. It is entitled “Is a citizen
of our country Nnamdi Kanu in Israel?”
The lawyer said that the letter to the Ambassador for
confirmation that Kanu was actually in Israel became necessary
because of the story making the rounds on the social and online
media that “an Nnamdl Kanu was sighted at the Wailing Wall during a
prayer session in Israel.”
The letter reads in part: “We are the counsel to Senator
Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, a distinguished Senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, representing Abia South Senatorial Zone in the
8th Senate of National Assembly of Nigeria.
“As a pronounced patriot, he recently, against all odds, put
life into our constitutional provision of the liberty of an accused
as well as eased tension in our polity by standing surety to Nnamdi
Kanu (who is on trial on allegations of treasonable offences in
CHARGE No. FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.)
“In fact, to situate you properly into the salient realities
involved in this national tragedy, the Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of
the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
“On 28th April 2017, the Hon trial Court granted him bail on
medical grounds and Sen. Abaribe was one of the three sureties who
executed the bail bond for his release.
“Your Excellency would recall that sometimes in 2017, the
Nigerian Army High Command announced publicly that they were going
to commence a military operation code-named “OPERATION PYTHON DANCE
“(EGWU EKE) 11 in the whole of the South East Zone of Nigeria from
15th of September to 14th of October 2017.”
It continued: “Curiously, selectively and tragically, from 11”
to 14″ September 2017, well before the announced scheduled dates,
the Nigerian Army, with truck loads of heavily armed soldiers,
armoured tanks and other intimidating offensive military weapons,
embarked on massive military operation exclusively at the Nnamdi
Kanu’s town, lsiama, Afaraukwu lbeku Umuahia, Abia State and at his
residence (the PALACE of HRH EZE ISREAL KANU) where at the material
time of the tragic invasion, he was staying with his royal
parents.
“There and then as the invading Army left, the Nnamdl Kanu along
with his parents were never seen or heard from again till
today.
“This explains his absence from his trial since that time till
now.
“Your Excellency, already before the Hon. trial Court is an
Affidavit deposed to on 17th November, 2017 to the effect that:
i)This fatal military invasion of town and residence of the
Nnamdl Knnu climaxing on 14″ of September 201 7 resulted in high
casualties as corpse’s littered all over the vicinity including In
the PALACE.
ii) The Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were In the PALACE at the
time of the tragic invasion of the town and PALACE.
iii) During the invasion, the Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were
never again seen or heard from either privately or publicly till
date.
iv)The Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were allegedly whisked off by
the invading soldiers.
“The Hon. Court had now ordered each of the three sureties to
show cause why each would not forfeit the respective bail bond of
one hundred million naira (N100, 000, 000:00) or go to prison for
their alleged failure to produce the Nnamdl Kanu for the on-going
trial.
“Your Excellency, in the midst of this quagmire, our attention
has been drawn to ongoing news making rounds on the social and
online media to the effect that an Nnamdl Kanu was sighted at the
Wailing Wall during a prayer session in Israel.
“In view of this, we humbly request your Excellency to use your
good office to painstakingly inquire from the Government of Israel
as follows:
a) If there is any Nnamdi Kanu, a Nigerian citizen in their
country, Israel?
b) Where there is, is that person the same as the Nnamdi Kanu
standing trial in CHARGE No. FHC/ABI/CR/383/2015 and that was never
seen again during the tragic military invasion of his home on 14″
of September 2017.
c) If the Nnamdl Kanu that was never seen again during the tragic
military Invasion of his home is the one in Israel, please find out
from the government of Israel how he arrived there and the
circumstances that led to that? What of his royal parents?
(I) Finally, Your Excellency, where there is an Nnamdl Kanu in
Israel, as the Law Firm representing Sen Abarlbe, we are ready to
assist you in a necessary DNA procedure to enable you verify
whether the alleged Nnamdl Kanu said to be in Israel is same as the
Nnamdl Kanu standing trial In CHARGE No. FHC/ABI/CR/383/2015.
“As citizens and or counsel, we all have the duty to assist our
courts with the truth and the established facts.
“We therefore urge Your Excellency to, under oath, verify your
findings as per A to D above and to the effect that they are from
the Government of Israel.
“This is because I will be submitting them on the Nnamdi Kanu to
the Hon. Court.
“We look forward to hearing from your Excellency soonest.
“Kindly, accept the assurances of our highest regards.”