NEWS
Coalition group frowns at judge not granting IPOB leader bail
The Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders expressed its displeasure at how Justice Binta Njako of the Federal High Court judged the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu by denying him from applying for bail.
The President-General of the group, Goodluck Ibem, making this known in a statement on Tuesday, likened Nyako’s verdict to a statement made by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) at the recently-held 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Ibem said, “The verdict of Justice Binta Njako is the same statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday 23 June, 2022 during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson, at the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, where the President Buhari told PM Johnson, ‘Remember he jumped bail before. How are we sure he won’t do it again if he’s admitted to bail?’
“When did the statement of the President become the verdict or judgement of the court?
“Are we running a democratic government or a unitary system of government where only one man determines the fate of millions of Nigerians even when it is unconstitutional, undemocratic and inhuman?.
“What we saw today in court in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu shows that President Buhari now has the verdict for the courts.
“Our hard earned democracy brought to us by our founding fathers has been reduced to nothing with what we are seeing today.”
He further stated, “Indeed our democracy has been battered and destroyed through the Judge who is meant to uphold the law no matter whose ox is gored.
“Nnamdi Kanu did not jump bail. He only left to stay alive when the Nigerian army came to his house to kill him and his entire household.
“Over 70 Igbo youths were killed on that day when the Nigerian military invaded his house. The law of self preservation permits him to do whatever he can to stay alive. He did not jump bail.
“Injustice to one is injustice to all. The verdict denying Nnamdi Kanu bail application today is injustice to all Nigerians and the world at large.
“We call on the international community, the United Nations and all lovers of democracy and justice to come to the aid of Nigerians whose hard earned democracy is now on the balance
The denial of Nnamdi Kanu’s bail and adjournment of his case by Justice Binta Njako to November 14, 2022 despite his present ill-health even when he is constitutionally guaranteed to be granted bail is inhuman and grossly against his fundamental human right to life.
“The present health condition of Nnamdi Kanu is life-threatening and it is his fundamental human right to be granted bail in order to take care of his health.
“We call on the Judiciary to look at Nnamdi Kanu’s case based on its merit and not based on sentiments because what we saw today to us is not justice but gross personal vendetta in action.”
