Tension in Anambra, commercial activities grounded in Abuja over Nnamdi Kanu’s trial

THERE was palpable fear in Anambra State on Monday, with commercial activities grounded in Abuja as Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja adjourned the trial of the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, till October 21, following the failure of the Federal Government to produce him in court. Mostly affected in Anambra State were the commercial centres of Onitsha and Nnewi where major markets were shut. Banks in Nnewi and Onitsha also shut down services for the fear of the unknown. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that vehicular movements within the state were affected as popular motor parks in the commercial city of Onitsha were deserted. Bonfires were seen on major roads leading to total blockade in and out of Onitsha. In Awka, human and vehicular movements were a bit normal with shops opened for business. 

The popular Eke-Awka market was also opened, but most shops were shut. The situation was, however, different in Ebonyi State as there was no restriction of movement, with businesses, markets, banks, schools all opened. 

Nigerian Tribune only discovered some fliers with inscriptions ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ pasted in solidarity with his trial in some parts of the state. Also, Enugu, the Enugu State capital, was calm amid unsubstantiated insinuation that went almost viral that a sit-at-home order had been issued in protest against Kanu’s arrest and retrial. 

Despite the fact that IPOB did not confirm the order, some shop owners and artisans closed their shops in the city as well as some private schools which sent back pupils and students for unexplained reasons. There was no security beefup in the city and to buttress the calmness, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was away in Bauchi State, attending a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) meeting. 

In Abuja, the nation’s security forces took over the three arms zone in a convoy of over 30 patrol vans. Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), the military and those of the para-military comprising the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were patrolling the zone. The patrol vans blaring sirens with fully armed personnel were seen moving round the zone to display a show of force in order in a way potential troublemakers around the venue of the trial of the IPOB leader. Human and vehicular movements were also prevented. 

At the nearby Police Force headquarters, the security was also tight as the trial coincided with the decoration of the newly-elevated senior police officers. All the service chiefs, led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, attended the decoration  ceremony, which further worsened the traffic situation in the area. 

At the Federal High Court, when the matter was called at about 11:10 a.m after counsel representing parties had announced appearance, lead counsel for the prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court that the case was for continuation of trial and was ready for the proceedings, though the secessionist agitator was not produced in court by the DSS. He, however, requested the court to proceed with the trial without a fiat from the Chief Judge of the court, taking into consideration that the court has commenced its annual vacation and the trial judge was not one of the vacation judges. 

Reacting, Kanu’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, informed the court of an application he filed seeking the transfer of Kanu from the DSS custody to the correctional centre in Kuje. The trial judge, in a short ruling, held that the trial of Kanu could not proceed in his absence having been arrested and brought into the country. She insisted that Kanu must be brought to court since he is now available to face his trial and adjourned the matter untill October 21. 

Meanwhile, Kanu’s lead counsel, on Monday, also told the court that the DSS had denied him and relatives of Kanu the opportunity to see him. “I was informed authoritatively; I am speaking from the bar, that Nnamdi Kanu has been taken out of jurisdiction of this court. 

“We have been denied access to Kanu in the last 10 days. We are worried about his safety and don’t know why the Federal Government refused to bring him to court,” Ejiofor complained to the court. 

Speaking after the court sitting, critical stakeholders in Umuahia, Abia State, expressed their concern over Kanu’s health and inaccessibility. In a press statement endorsed by Chief Obi Aguocha, on behalf of Umuahia critical stakeholders, the group expressed its concern about the health status and general well-being “of our son, Nnamdi Kanu who is currently in detention and is to appear for his hearing in the Federal High Court, Abuja.” 

The statement further reads: “From the information available to us, it appears that only his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, has had access to him since he was detained. We are also informed that family members, his doctors and critical stakeholders from Umuahia, his constituency, have not been allowed to see him.” 

They pointed out that two letters had been written by them to the director general of DSS, seeking his approval for the administrative leaders of his kith and kin, amongst other critical Umuahia stakeholders to visit him. At the point of issuing this statement, no response had been received from the DSS. 

They further stated: “We wish to state that we believe that no matter what the allegations are against Nnamdi Kanu, the presumption of innocence is a legal principle in Nigeria that every person accused of any offence is considered innocent until proven guilty and must be applied. Our son is entitled to the exercise of his fundamental human rights under our constitution, the African Charter of Peoples’ and Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” 

“We are also mindful of the appearance of double standard in the application and administration of criminal justice between Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho of the Yoruba Nation, where due process is all of a sudden embraced in place of torture and abduction of Nnamdi Kanu from a foreign land as informed in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview by his lawyer, Chief Ejimakor, a few days ago. 

“As has been reiterated by many well-meaning Nigerians, including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, we wish to urge our people to be more prayerful for Kanu and his family and to remain calm at this moment as efforts are being made to strategically engage the Federal Government constructively in a productive reconciliation that would address the core issues of injustice agitating Ndi Igbo and begin the implementation of the various resolutions reached with the Southern Governors’ Forum.” 

Also, IPOB called on the DSS to allow Kanu have access to his lawyers and family members if he is still alive. The group made the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, on Monday. He also condemned the hide and seek attitude of the DSS and its systematic delay and failure to produce their leader in court on Monday.

 

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