The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has expressed concern over what it termed “political trial and charade display” of its leader Nnamdi Kanu at the Abuja Federal High Court.
IPOB called on President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, to discontinue the political trial of Kanu.
The spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, made the call while describing Kanu’s renewed trial as illegal.
A statement by Powerful reads partly: “We the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great liberator Mazi Nnamdi Kanu expresses concern over the political trial charade displayed at the Abuja High Court today, the 26th February, 2024.
“We demand that the Nigerian government discontinue the politically motivated retrial of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB is not interested in their shambolic political trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria court.
“The whole political court trial and charade has gone on for too long with no end in sight. It’s a good thing that IPOB distanced itself from further court trials. How can Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has been discharged and acquitted by the Apex court, be compelled to seek a bail from a lower court?
“Why did the federal government refuse to obey the 13th October 2022 judgment of the Appeal Court of Nigeria? What are they planning to achieve with the new request for bail at the lower court?
“The IPOB leadership insists that IPOB is no longer interested in the political trial of our leader. The decision of the Supreme Court to return the case back to the High Court after confirming that the Federal Government invasion of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s home was an assassination attempt is simply ridiculous.
“Moreso, the Supreme Court, on December 15, 2023, confirmed that the process of returning him back to Nigeria contravened local and international laws. Why then did the Supreme Court refuse to agree with the judgment of the Appeal Court but chose to return the case back to the High Court if not for political maneuvers? If their plans are to cage Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB with illegal and stringent bail conditions, they will fail.
“The Nigerian judiciary can not build on illegality by benefiting from their own crimes. We insist that the Nigerian government violated their own local laws and at the same time violated international laws by going to Kenya to kidnap Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and extraordinarily renditioned him to Nigeria.
“The worldwide IPOB family stands by the judgment of the Appeal Court and will never accept or go by any bail conditions that the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to impose on our leader through Justice Binta Nyako. Their plans are dead on arrival. IPOB’s self-determination struggle is peaceful and lawful and can’t be stopped by any illegal court pronouncements in Nigeria.
“Since the Nigerian Judiciary has decided to make a mockery of the justice system in Nigeria, IPOB will help make their illegality and corruption go viral.
“President Bola Tinubu and his Attorney General should discontinue the charade of the High Court case against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. They should forget about imposing any barbaric bail conditions on him after violating his fundamental human rights for almost three (3) years. Every illegal and barbaric bail condition they plan to impose on our leader will be null and void.”