Kanu’s Trial: Allow Court To Adjudicate, Group Urges FG

Posted by Eric Ojo Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A frontline Civil Society and not-for-profit group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Federal Government to allow the Court of law to conduct the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), without any form of interference.

The IPOB leader was re-arrested and extradited to Nigeria to continue his trial for treasonable felony charges brought against him and his co-defendant by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Kanu was re-arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday. Justice Binta Nyako ordered that the accused be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) and adjourned the case to July 26 and 27.

In a media statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA warned against propaganda by the Federal Government but to allow the court to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed judicial powers as affirmed in Section 6 of 1999 Constitution.

“6. (1) The judicial powers of the Federation shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established for the Federation. (2) The judicial powers of a State shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established, subject as provided by this Constitution, for a State.

“(3) The courts to which this section relates, established by this Constitution for the Federation and for the States, specified in subsection (5) (a) to (1) of this section, shall be the only superior courts of record in Nigeria; and save as otherwise prescribed by the National Assembly or by the House of Assembly of a State, each court shall have all the powers of a superior court of record”, the statement added.

The statement also advised the Federal Government to respect Kanu’s constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights including fair and unbiased trial as specified in section 36 (5) thus “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty; Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts”.

It equally urged the Federal Government to stop pampering armed Fulani terrorists and kidnappers who are waging war against innocent school children of Northern Nigeria.

“If the Nigerian government under Muhammadu Buhari can go as far as arresting the fugitive head of the proscribed indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) whose group has consistently denied embracing armed struggle to achieve self-determination, it is expected that President Muhammadu Buhari should focus also on arresting the real terrorists of ISWAP/Boko haram terrorists responsible for over 32000 deaths of innocent citizens and the destruction of North East of Nigeria”, the statement added.

The statement also called for constructive dialogues as the best panacea to the growing agitations for self – government all across the country.

“The truth is that these agitations are well grounded due to systemic and systematic injustices against certain ethnic groups and more particularly the agitations are due to resource, political and economic injustices which have heightened through the jaundiced and bigoted policies of President Muhammadu Buhari”, it stressed.