THERE was jubilation in states of South-East and South-South geopolitical zones of the country, on Tuesday, after a Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, with three sureties in the sum of N100 million each.
This came as the parents and members of IPOB rejected what they termed stringent bail conditions given by the court before he could regain freedom.
In Rivers, Enugu, Abia, Imo and other states, it was celebration as supporters celebrated the release of the IPOB leader.
Justice Binta Nyako granted Kanu bail in the sum of N100 million and three sureties in like sum.
While delivering her ruling on the bail application, she held that the IPOB leader must depose to an affidavit that he would be available in court to face his trial.
Another bail condition was that one of the sureties must be a respected person of Igbo extraction, such as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; another, a respected Jewish leader and the third surety, a resident of Abuja who has integrity.
The judge also ordered the IPOB leader to deposit his international passport with the court, adding that if his travel document had been with the security agency, it should be transferred to the court.
“I will need monthly report of the health condition of the first defendant (Kanu)”, Justice Nyako said, while she refused to grant the bail application for Kanu’s co-defendants.
She said Kanu had based his bail application on health grounds, adding that “I am of the view that it is only a living person that can appear in court for trial.
“I hereby exercise my discretion to grant the first defendant (Kanu) bail and refuse the bail application of his co-defendants,” she said.
Justice Nyako said Kanu’s health challenge could no longer be handled by the medical facilities at the Kuje prison.
The judge barred the IPOB leader from rallies, granting press interviews and must not stay in a crowd with more than 10 people.
Earlier, Justice Nyako had turned down the request by the IPOB leader and his co-defendants, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, for variation of her earlier order for protection of prosecution witnesses.
The judge held that the defendants had not provided anything new in their earlier argument for the variation of the order.
“My earlier ruling remains as prosecution witnesses, who are security agents, will be protected and their identity will not be disclosed,” the judge held.
She, however, adjourned the matter till July 11 and 12 for commencement of trial, adding that the court would not entertain any interlocutory applications.
Kanu, alongside three others, are facing trial for alleged treasonable felony.
Nyako had quashed six of the 11-count charge filed against them but she sustained the rest, which bordered on treason.
Before the court sitting, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who was in the court as early as 9.00 a.m., hugged and had a brief chat with Kanu.
Fayose, who said he was in court in solidarity with him, added that he saluted Kanu’s spirit and believed one day, he would walk as a free man in the country.
“Though I am not of the Igbo extraction, I decided to come to court to show solidarity as somebody who believes in justice and that the country belongs to all Nigerians,” he said.
Reacting to the bail conditions given by the judge, Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said “the terms have been listed as the conditions for the bail which we believe will be perfected within the next 48 hours.
“However, I made it clearly known to the world and everybody who cares to listen that this order of the court must be obeyed.
“Any attempt by the Federal Government to flout this particular court order will be resisted. In fact, as a matter of fact, it will bring this trial to an end, because we will opt out of the trial and we will not allow him to be tried if the orders are flouted.”
There were, however, unconfirmed reports that Kanu wanted those charged alongside with him to also be granted bail.
Also reacting, Eze Israel Kanu and Ugoeze Sally, parents of Nnamdi Kanu, rejected some of the conditions.
They told newsmen in Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday, that the conditions were “too stringent and awkward.”
They, instead, urged the Federal Government to release their son unconditionally, saying the conditions were pointers to the unwillingness of the government to let their son off the hook.
The traditional ruler and his wife, who addressed newsmen at their palace in Isiama-Afaraukwu community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, said it was unheard of that “in an internal matter, a person standing trial should have a surety who is a foreigner.
“It has never happened anywhere in the world that a person standing trial for an internal matter would be asked to procure a foreigner as surety. From where do they expect those sureties to bring the hundreds of millions of naira the judge has stipulated?” the traditional ruler asked.
He assured that his son would remain in Nigeria to face his trial if granted bail, adding that the stringent bail conditions were uncalled for.
There was unusual traffic in Abuja, following the bail granted Kanu by the court.
On the Abia House junction, at Ahmadu Bello Way, there was gridlock, as many Nigerians parked their cars by the roadside to rejoice with some Biafra supporters who had just come out of the court premises.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), however, prevented Chief Femi Fani-Kayode from entering the court premises to witness the trial.
Fani-Kayode had attempted to enter the court but the security operatives blocked him, while they did not allow journalists as well to witness the proceedings.
Immediately after the bail application was granted in Abuja, there was jubilation in some parts of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
On the Aba Road, hawkers and traders lauded the release, while appreciating Governor Fayose for identifying with Kanu during his trial.
At the popular Motor Spare Parts Market at Ikoku, Mile 2, traders and passers-by also celebrated the release of the IPOB leader.
In Enugu and its environs, as soon as the news filtered through, many people were seen at drinking joints, outside their offices and in markets, discussing the development.
Some of the Enugu residents were seen at viewing centres listening to Radio Biafra.
An Enugu resident who gave his name as Ifeanyi Njoku, said he was not worried about the conditions given to Kanu for his release, adding that “health ground or no health ground, the important thing is that our leader has regained his freedom.”
In Owerri, Imo State, members of IPOB came out with defunct Biafra flags and T-shirts, celebrating the bail granted Kanu by the court.
Also, members of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) lauded the bail granted him as there was jubilation in Aba, Abia State.
A statement by the leader of MASSOB, Mr Uchenna Madu, said “thousands of MASSOB members are in jubilant celebration over the bail granted to Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB.”
MASSOB also commended the efforts of Igbo governors, prominent leaders, Igbo National Assembly members and, especially Governor Fayose of Ekiti, for their support and solidarity.
Meanwhile, former President-General worldwide of the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife and first Nigerian aviation minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, have described the bail conditions of Nnamdi Kanu as stringent.
In their separate reactions in Anambra, the duo wondered how Kanu would meet the bail conditions.
Speaking with newsmen in Nnewi, Ikedife said “it is good that they have granted him bail. The next thing we expect them to do is to dispose of the charges brought against him one way or the other.
“Besides, the bail conditions are stringent. Is Kanu going to get all these people who have been burying money in various places to be his surety? Where will he find the three people listed as those to serve as surety for him?”
Amechi, on his own, said granting bail to Kanu was long overdue.
IPOB also said the conditions attached to the bail granted its leader were unacceptable, insisting that the detention of the Radio Biafra director since October 2015 was illegal.
The media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emmanuel Powerful, said “the bail conditions which are most probably designed by politicians who are afraid of Kanu’s popularity is too inhuman, childish and stringent.”
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