IPOB leader, Kanu, distances self from violence in South East

The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has disassociated himself from the violence in the southeastern part of the country.

The IPOB leader vowed that those behind the violence leading to the wanton killing of their fellow brothers and sisters and burning of properties under the guise of being IPOB members would not be spared.

Kanu told newsmen on Tuesday, immediately after the Federal High Court in Abuja denied him bail in charges bordering on terrorism slammed against him by the federal government.

He noted that the violence persisted because he was being held in the custody of Department of State Services (DSS) and vowed that if released, there would be peace in the entire South-East region of the country.

According to the IPOB leader, “Anybody committing crime cannot go free. I swear it. Anybody committing crime in the South East cannot go free. They are doing it because I am in the DSS custody. If I were to be outside, nobody can try that.

“I suspect that some people in government are complicit. They are making money with the insecurity. They know if Nnamdi Kanu is outside, in two minutes this nonsense will stop.

“Anybody involved in any form of violence in the East in the name of IPOB is a goner and they know it. Let me come out of this mess, only two minutes, there will be peace in the East”, he said.

Earlier, Kanu, through his lead counsel, Alloy Ejimakor had applied orally to Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja handling his trial, that he be relocated out of the custody of the DSS to Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja.

He alleged that the DSS operatives are infringing on his fundamental rights by interfering with his conversations with his lawyers and family members.

Under such a situation, Kanu said, he cannot have the opportunity of preparing himself for his defense in the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.

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Justice Nyako however declined the request and held that the court had earlier, in a ruling rejected a similar request by the IPOB leader and maintained that the best option opened to Kanu was to go to the Court of Appeal to challenge the earlier ruling rather than coming back with the same application.

At this point, Kanu, in the alternative demanded that the court should issue an order to place him under house arrest in any part of Abuja as he is tired of being in DSS custody for some reasons, among which were that, his health challenges were not being properly managed.

But, Justice Nyako held that Kanu will be well secured in the custody of DSS and that if he has any issue against that, he should come up formerly since he is being tried in a court of record.

Meanwhile, the court has refused to grant the fresh bail request made by the IPOB leader, through his lawyer on February 26.

In a brief ruling on the request, Justice Nyako said that a similar application seeking for bail had earlier been made and rejected by the same court.

Justice Nyako held that the only option opened to Kanu was to go to the Court of Appeal to challenge the earlier refusal by the court.

The Judge also refused to give unfettered access to anybody to visit Kanu in the custody of the DSS for security reasons and further held that, if Kanu is not comfortable with the conditions attached to visitation by his lawyers to the DSS office, he should apply for variation rather than bringing fresh application.

The court then, adjourned till April 17 for trial of the IPOB leader.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE