The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has condemned the bail conditions granted its incarcerated leader, Nnamdi Kanu by Justice Binta Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court.
IPOB in a statement by its spokespersons, Barrister Emma Nmezu, Dr Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari wrote the bail conditions and handed them over to Justice Nyako who read them in court.
Recall that Kanu, who is currently facing trial alongside three other pro-Biafra agitators, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, and David Nwawuisi before the Justice Nyako-led court was on Tuesday April 25 granted bail on health grounds.
The trial judge, however, gave some stringent conditions which the IPOB leader must meet before perfecting his bail.
According to Justice Nyako, Kanu must meet the following bail terms, “Produce three sureties and two of whom must be; (a) highly respected and recognized Jewish leader and (b) highly placed Igbo person such as a Senator. The third surety must be resident in Abuja with a landed property in the same Abuja. Above all, the three sureties must deposit one hundred million naira (N100 Million) each.
“Barred from attending any rally and granting any form of interview."
“Must not be in a crowd exceeding 10 persons. “Must surrender his British and Nigerian passports even when these passports are still in the custody of the DSS."
“Must sign an undertaking to avail himself for trial at all times.”
However, the pro-Biafra group stressed that the bail terms were defective and a show of “judicial recklessness and rascality.”
IPOB insisted that the bail conditions were “booby traps” meant to ensnare and “gag its leader perpetually.”
Faulting the entire bail conditions granted Kanu, the pro-Biafra group claimed that “Justice Nyako has brought the Nigerian Judicial system to the lowest ebb.”
Calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen to intervene in Kanu’s trial and salvage the “tattered image of the Nigerian Judiciary”, IPOB stressed that Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators should be released unconditionally.
“Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako has turned the Judiciary on its head with these laughable and ludicrous bail conditions. She has made history in the Nigerian Judicial System as the first Judge to introduce religion and tribe into bail conditions in a non-religious court case."
“Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako has defamed the Nigerian Judicial system by violating the fundamental human rights of an accused person as stipulated in the various United Nations Conventions as well as in the relevant sections of Chapter Four of the Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar-unilaterally written Constitution of Nigeria."
"We can confirm from the immediate family of Nnamdi Kanu that his official religion is Christianity; hence we are at loss on why a respected Jewish leader must be one of the sureties. As far as we know, Nnamdi Kanu has British and Nigerian passports, so why stipulate a respected Jewish leader as one of the sureties?"
“Secondly, why specify that another surety must be of Igbo extraction? Is Igbo the only tribe in Biafra or in Nigeria for that matter? Has there been any precedence where a surety was required to come from a particular tribe?"
“If truly Justice Binta Nyako’s court is a Federal High Court, why restrict a third surety to be a resident of Abuja? Even at that, is it out of place for an Abuja resident to have a landed property elsewhere within Nigeria or is Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako not confident in the ability of the relevant Nigerian Agency to identify and seize any property outside of Abuja if such an Agency is required to do so?"
"These bail conditions are laughable and defective and must be totally overturned. In addition to granting an unconditional release to Nnamdi Kanu, we demand that the other three detained Biafrans, namely Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, and David Nwawuisi must also be released unconditionally."
“Nothing less will be acceptable to Biafrans. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako must jettison the bail conditions she handed out to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and proceed to unconditionally release all four Biafrans immediately."
IPOB in a statement by its spokespersons, Barrister Emma Nmezu, Dr Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari wrote the bail conditions and handed them over to Justice Nyako who read them in court.
Recall that Kanu, who is currently facing trial alongside three other pro-Biafra agitators, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, and David Nwawuisi before the Justice Nyako-led court was on Tuesday April 25 granted bail on health grounds.
The trial judge, however, gave some stringent conditions which the IPOB leader must meet before perfecting his bail.
According to Justice Nyako, Kanu must meet the following bail terms, “Produce three sureties and two of whom must be; (a) highly respected and recognized Jewish leader and (b) highly placed Igbo person such as a Senator. The third surety must be resident in Abuja with a landed property in the same Abuja. Above all, the three sureties must deposit one hundred million naira (N100 Million) each.
“Barred from attending any rally and granting any form of interview."
“Must not be in a crowd exceeding 10 persons. “Must surrender his British and Nigerian passports even when these passports are still in the custody of the DSS."
“Must sign an undertaking to avail himself for trial at all times.”
However, the pro-Biafra group stressed that the bail terms were defective and a show of “judicial recklessness and rascality.”
IPOB insisted that the bail conditions were “booby traps” meant to ensnare and “gag its leader perpetually.”
Faulting the entire bail conditions granted Kanu, the pro-Biafra group claimed that “Justice Nyako has brought the Nigerian Judicial system to the lowest ebb.”
Calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen to intervene in Kanu’s trial and salvage the “tattered image of the Nigerian Judiciary”, IPOB stressed that Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators should be released unconditionally.
“Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako has turned the Judiciary on its head with these laughable and ludicrous bail conditions. She has made history in the Nigerian Judicial System as the first Judge to introduce religion and tribe into bail conditions in a non-religious court case."
“Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako has defamed the Nigerian Judicial system by violating the fundamental human rights of an accused person as stipulated in the various United Nations Conventions as well as in the relevant sections of Chapter Four of the Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar-unilaterally written Constitution of Nigeria."
"We can confirm from the immediate family of Nnamdi Kanu that his official religion is Christianity; hence we are at loss on why a respected Jewish leader must be one of the sureties. As far as we know, Nnamdi Kanu has British and Nigerian passports, so why stipulate a respected Jewish leader as one of the sureties?"
“Secondly, why specify that another surety must be of Igbo extraction? Is Igbo the only tribe in Biafra or in Nigeria for that matter? Has there been any precedence where a surety was required to come from a particular tribe?"
“If truly Justice Binta Nyako’s court is a Federal High Court, why restrict a third surety to be a resident of Abuja? Even at that, is it out of place for an Abuja resident to have a landed property elsewhere within Nigeria or is Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako not confident in the ability of the relevant Nigerian Agency to identify and seize any property outside of Abuja if such an Agency is required to do so?"
"These bail conditions are laughable and defective and must be totally overturned. In addition to granting an unconditional release to Nnamdi Kanu, we demand that the other three detained Biafrans, namely Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, and David Nwawuisi must also be released unconditionally."
“Nothing less will be acceptable to Biafrans. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako must jettison the bail conditions she handed out to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and proceed to unconditionally release all four Biafrans immediately."
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