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DSS disobey court orders, refuse to let Kanu change cloth- Lawyer

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Nnamdi Kanu ipob

The Department of State Services has refused to obey court orders granting Nnamdi Kanu maximum comfort in detention, change of clothing, amongst others, says Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel for the embattled IPOB leader.

Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the detaining agency has “unrepentantly continued to treat the orders of the court with greatest disdain”.

Recall that Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered on December 2, 2021 that the secessionist leader should not be discriminated against in the custody of the secret police.

The presiding judge had also ordered that Kanu be given maximum comfort possible in detention, be allowed a change of clothing, be allowed free practice of his Jewish faith including access to his Jewish religious materials, allowed to receive any visitor of his choice, and allowed to mingle freely with other inmates in DSS custody.

Justice Nyako also adjourned the trial of Kanu till January 18, 2022, after granting a motion for an abridgement of time.

However, Barr. Ejiofor said he visited Kanu in DSS custody on Monday, saying that despite the orders made by the court on December 2, 2021, the DSS flouted and ignored the court orders.

The statement was titled, ‘Update On Today’s Visit To Our Indefatigable Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu At The Headquarters Of The Department Of State Services (DSS) Abuja’.

He wrote, “We were informed by our client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that none of the pronouncement made by the Court on the 2nd of December 2021 has been obeyed by the lawless DSS. They have unrepentantly continued to treat the Orders of the Court with greatest disdain.

“Our client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu further informed us that he had not eaten anything since Sunday, apparently being punished because we dared to complain to the court about the harsh condition under which he is being held in custody. But, very, unfortunately, this should be the height of their reckless affront to the orders of court.

“At the time Her Lordship made these far-reaching orders in open court, I did not mince words in bringing to the attention of the court that the operatives of the DSS will flout these orders, pursuant to which the court specifically directed me to come back to her with these facts if her order is flouted by the detaining authority.”

He said the legal team of the IPOB leader would be approaching the court immediately with the development, which he described as “totally unacceptable, grossly condemnable, and intolerable.”

Ejiofor insisted that Kanu has not been convicted for committing any crime and he is still presumed innocent of every allegation against him.

“The detaining authority (DSS) is an Agency clearly established by instrumentality of the laws and should operate within the confines of the same laws establishing them, and should not be seen as a lawless entity, which unfortunately is what they represent in practice,” he said.

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