IPOB to shutdown Nigeria over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial

On Friday, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra vowed to shut down the country over what it described as the biased handling of the trial of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

The group, which condemned the way some of Kanu’s lawyers were denied entry into the courtroom by personnel of the Department of State Services at the resumption of his trial on Wednesday, alleged that the judiciary was being used to keep Kanu in detention perpetually without trial.

IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, in a statement titled, ‘We will cripple Nigeria if the Federal Government thinks it can use Justice Binta Nyako to keep our leader in perpetual detention without trial’, said whether the Federal Government liked it or not, it remained committed to the actualisation of Biafra.

The statement partly read, “We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra unequivocally condemn the attitude of Justice Binta Nyako over the way she is handling the case of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, before her court. We are most shocked at her obvious (alleged) prejudice and bias during the last court proceedings which resulted in her whimsical adjournment of the case to January 19 and 20, 2022.

“Justice Binta Nyako is engaging in judicial rascality and impunity at the behest of the Federal Government of Nigeria aimed at keeping our leader in perpetual detention without trial. This rascality only portrays that Binta Nyako is simply playing the script handed over to her by the Fulani caliphate of which she belongs to.

“We wish to express our displeasure with Justice Binta Nyako’s handling of this case. How can a defendant be on trial without legal representation? Justice Binta Nyako has always wanted to conduct a secret trial of this high-profile case which concerns the personal liberty and human rights of the accused.”

The group alleged that the long adjournments and what seemed like open bias and doing the bidding of the DSS had eroded the confidence of the accused in the neutrality of the judge handling the case.

It added, “Justice Binta Nyako has given us sufficient reasons and grounds to doubt her ability to give justice and fair hearing to our leader considering the manner the judge has been going about this case.

“Locking out the legal representatives including one of our leader’s counsels from the United States, Bruce Fein, from the courtroom has only exposed Justice Binta Nyako’s biased and prejudiced disposition to this case before her.

“One thing the judge must understand is that we are determined in our irrevocable resolve to actualise Biafra. No amount of intimidation, persecution or prejudice by the oppressors or their agents can derail our match to freedom and the ultimate restoration of the Sovereign State of Biafra.

“Our elders, traditional rulers, religious leaders and political elite who are begging IPOB to soft-pedal must take serious note of the travesty and shenanigans playing out in Justice Binta Nyako’s Courtroom. Our patience is not infinitely elastic.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist organization in Nigeria. Its main aim is to restore an independent state of Biafra in the Old Eastern Region of Nigeria, comprising mainly of today’s South-East and South-South Regions of Nigeria; and also parts of the Middle Belt states of Nigeria such as Benue State and Kogi State, through an independence referendum.