FG Urges Court To Return Nnamdi Kanu To Prison

The FG has urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail it granted leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu and return him to prison.

The government, in a counter-motion, dated August 1, 2017, urged the court to dismiss an application by Kanu, seeking a review of the bail conditions. .

“The offence for which he (Kanu) is standing trial is not ordinarily bailable; the court, not withstanding, granted bail to the 1st defendant/applicant (Kanu) on health grounds on 25th April 2017.

Among other conditions for the bail of the 1st defendant is that he should not be seen in a crowd exceeding 10 people; that he should not grant any interviews, hold or attend any rallies; that he should file, in court, medical updates of his health status every month. The bail conditions were perfected by the 1stdefendant/applicant, which he is currently enjoying.

Rather than observing all the conditions listed above, the 1st defendant, in fragrant disobedience to the court order, flouted all conditions given by the court.

The 1st defendant equally incited his members to disrupt, disallow and boycott elections in South East states, starting with Anambra State gubernatorial election scheduled for November 18 if the FG failed to hold referendum for the realisation of the state of Biafra.

The 1st defendant has already declared the bail conditions given by the court unconstitutional before approaching this court with the application for variation. .

Rather than showing remorse for his actions, the 1st defendant approached this court with an application for a review of the same conditions for the bail which he grossly flouted.

Considering the above, that the 1st applicant has violated the conditions on which the terms of his bail were premised, we urged this court to commit the defendant to prison by invoking the provision of Section 173(2)(B) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. .

We categorically state that justice would have been denied the state by this court, if the state is not protected from the offences being perpetrated by the 1st defendant,” the FG said. Crdt: TheNation

Biafra Has Come To Stay -Lady Declares As She Flaunts Her Granddad’s Biafran Currency (Photos)

A Nigerian lady and a female member of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB took things a step further following a revelation she made on her Facebook page. The young lady identified as Nmesoma James, shared pictures of some Biafran currency which she said she found among her grandfather’s collections. Nmesoma who calls herself ‘Ada Biafra’, flaunted the Biafran Pounds while confirming that she is ”proudly part of this evangelism”.

Nmesoma James wrote:

“Biafra has come to stay. No matter what them yarn. Just discovered this cash in our granddad’s collection…It’s purely biafran currency. Ada Biafra flexing her currency…Proudly part of this evangelism…#adabiafra #ourown”

“Why would any idiot want me to be in a stupid country like Nigeria?” - Nnamdi Kanu tells Al Jazeera

On the commemoration of the 50th year of Biafra,  IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu opened his doors to international news site, Al Jazeera. It was the first interview the secessionist leader would grant since he was granted bail..

In Al Jazeera’s comprehensive report, it was revealed that “dozens of people waited to see Kanu” in his home while men dressed in black secured the compound. The report said, “They refer to Kanu as, “our supreme leader” or “his royal highness“.

Kanu told the news site: “I can’t go outside to call for a press conference. I can’t go on Biafra Radio to broadcast. I can’t allow large [groups of] people to basically congregate outside to see me … it’s like asking me not to breathe”.

Speaking on Nigeria and the marginalisation of Igbos in the country, Kanu lamented on preexisting issues that prevent Igbos from contesting for the presidency and holding top positions in the military.

He said, "I'm not allowed to contest for the presidency of Nigeria because I'm Igbo. I'm not allowed to aspire to become the inspector general of police because I'm Igbo. I'm not allowed to become chief of army staff because I'm Igbo. What sort of stupid country is that?" Kanu asks. "Why would any idiot want me to be in that sort of country?"

Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in 2015 on an 11-count charge including treasonable felony, has been widely accepted as the messiah of the pro-Biafra movement.

"Kanu is my saviour," says Sopuru Amah, a senior student at one of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, told Al Jazeera.

"Just like Jesus was sent to save the world, Kanu was sent by God himself to save the Igbo people."

Kanu's bail conditions prohibit him from being in a crowd of more than 10 people, leaving the country and giving media interviews.

But says he doesn't care if he is flouting one of the terms for his bail.

"I don't care. I can't go outside to call for a press conference. I can't go on Biafra Radio to broadcast. I can't allow large [groups of] people to basically congregate outside to see me … it's like asking me not to breathe," he said

He says the demand for the secession of the South East from Nigeria is because the nation is not functioning and can never function.

Kanu said Nothing is working in Nigeria. "There is pain and hardship everywhere. What we're fighting [for] is not self-determination for the sake of it. It's because Nigeria is not functioning and can never function." "

Biafra@50: IPOB, MASSOB sit-at-home protest in pictures

Biafra: Ohaneze Ndigbo speaks on IPOB, MASSOB sit-at-home order

John Nwodo, the leader of Ohaneze, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation has bared his mind on the proposed sit-at-home protest by Biafra separatist groups: the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB.

The IPOB group plans a sit-at-home protest in the south-east and south-south regions of the country on May 30 to coincide with the annual ‘Biafra Remembrance Day,’ as well as honour the memory of pro-Biafra activists killed by security agencies over the years.

The group called for the closure of all markets within “Biafran territory” on May 30, and a halt of all vehicular movements in the area from 12 a.m. on May 29 till midnight of May 30.

“They have been very law-abiding. In fact, they say everybody should stay at home. They didn’t ask everybody to come and demonstrate on the road. They say stay at home to prayerfully and sorrowfully mourn the dead,” Mr. Nwodo said in an interview with newsmen Festus Owete and Ebuka Onyeji.

“People died on both sides… About 1.5 million people on the Biafran side died. When I talk about Biafrans I am not talking about the Igbos. Philip Effiong was from the present Akwa Ibom. He was deputy to Ojukwu. Kogbara from Rivers was administrator in Biafra. Achuzia was GOC. So, Biafra was beyond the confines of what you call Igbo land today? The feeling is still in all those places.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has warned IPOB and other separatist groups not to embark on protests on May 30.

In a statement issued by the police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, on Friday, the police said it would not hesitate to deal decisively with any attempt to cause disturbance or carry out any unlawful procession or assembly.
The Enugu State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, also warned it would resist any attempt by the separatist groups to force people to stay indoors on May 30.

The IPOB and Nigeria security agencies have a history of violence confrontations over the past few years.

At least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters were killed between August 2015 and August 2016 as Nigerian security forces embarked on – what Amnesty International described as – a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence in the Southeast.

During last year’s Biafra Remembrance Day march, at least 60 people were killed as hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces across the Southeast region, according to Amnesty International.

In announcing this year’s protest, the IPOB had said it would resist any attempt to deter it from going ahead with its plan.
“The saboteurs and agents cannot stop us from honouring our fallen heroes because it is our inalienable right to remember and honour those who died in the struggle for Biafra independence,” the group had said.

The Nigerian Civil War, better known as the Biafra war (July 6, 1967 – January 15, 1970), was a war fought between the government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and persecution of Igbos living in Northern Nigeria.

In a related development, the 82 Division Nigerian Army on Monday denied an allegation supposedly made by IPOB in a statement released on Monday that “there was sporadic shootings by the Army in Aba and Umuahia axis” and that soldiers opened fire on IPOB members in Aba during a procession in honour of those who died during the Biafra civil war.

“The Division wishes to state there was no soldier at the venue or vicinity where the procession took place. Also, there was no crisis or breakdown of law and order in Aba, Umuahia and in the whole of South Eastern part of Nigeria as to warrant/justify ‘use of firearms’ as falsely and mischievously alleged by IPOB propagandists,” an army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, a colonel, said.

“What is obvious, however, is an increase in the presence of security agencies on routine patrols in different locations in the region, particularly areas that are regarded as real or potential flash points. The aim is to pro-actively checkmate possible security breaches in view of sordid/divisive utterances and in some cases blatant actions by secessionist agitators.”

Biafra Times publisher and 9 others arrested in Lagos.

The police in Lagos on Monday said they had arrested the publisher of Biafra Times and nine others for allegedly publishing and circulating seditious and malicious publication.

Parading the 10 suspects, Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, said 515 copies of the offending newspaper were recovered during a raid on the printing press in Shomolu, Lagos.

He said, “The printing press has been shut and the environment is being monitored.

“This is an offence punishable under the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”

He added that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as detectives finished interrogating them.

The arrested publisher, however, told journalists that he had no intention to promote disunity and disharmony among Nigerians.

He said, “I love my country and I love my president. My intention is not to fight my country; I just want to pass out information to those who have no access to the Internet.

“I usually go on the Internet to source for information and publish. I have other papers on sports and social life which I publish.”

The prime suspect said he had been publishing for the past eight years but only specialised in Biafra Times three months ago.

He said, “I decided to specialise on Biafra Times when I discovered it is always a sell-out anytime we published stories about eastern parts of the country.

“Sometimes, I go to newspaper vendors and hear people requesting for Biafra Times.

“We usually print about 5000 copies which we sell for N100 nationwide.”

In another development, the CP told journalists that the command was aware of a proposed demonstration which popular artiste, Tuface Idibia planned to lead.

He said that the command was yet to be officially notified and assured that the police would not allow unscrupulous elements to hijack the protest.

(NAN)