By Adesina Soyooye
In a sudden about-turn, the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, will appear in Court tomorrow at the Federal High Court, Abuja, where his prosecution has been taking place since he was rearrested in Nairobi, Kenya and brought back to Nigeria.
On November 10 when he appeared at the FHC before the trial Judge, the Hon. Justice Binta Nyako, the Court had adjourned the case till January 19, 2022. His Counsels had worked out, according to media reports in protest that their colleagues were not allowed in by Security Agents. But on their part, the Counsels blamed the Judge, insisting she locked them out, and adjourned the case in their absence.
IPOB had protested the long adjournment, saying it was part of the plan to keep their leader in custody in perpetuity.
His appearance tomorrow, Thursday, in Court, it is gathered, is on a special arrangement, a consequence of the pressure on the Federal Government to explore political solution rather than a legal solution to Kanu’s case.
His Counsels had gone back to Court to ask for an abridgement of the adjournment period. Their request was granted.
A couple of weeks ago, some Igbo leaders, led by 94 year old Amaechi Mbazulike, had on a scheduled visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, specifically appealed to him to release the IPOB leader unconditionally. Mbazulike had asked that Kanu be released to him, and promised to “contain” him.
Buhari had said it was an extremely difficult request to make but promised to consider it.
According to a reliable source, Kanu’s Counsels are most likely to move for bail on his behalf on Thursday.
But not a few people speculate, strongly, that Kanu’s appearance in Court on December 2, 2021, instead of January 19, 2022, is part of the softening of ground by the Federal Government to give Kanu bail, in reverence to the appeal by the Igbo elders, and the Caucus of the South-east National Assembly members.
On its part, IPOB seem to have softened a bit. Its leadership has said there will be no lockdown of the South-east on Thursday when its leader appears in Court. Before now, IPOB’s order, after cancelling the every-Monday lockdown, was that South-easterners sit at home each time Kanu appeared in Court.
But in a statement issued on Wednesday, December 1, 2022, and signed by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, INEC asked all South-easterners outside Abuja and environs, to go about their normal businesses. There is no sit-at-home order, it emphasized.
However, the statement asked those in Abuja and environs to come out and show solidarity with the IPOB leader.
Following is part of the statement by Powerful:
“We wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that our Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will be in court tomorrow, December 2, 2021, in Abuja.
“We, therefore, urge Biafrans living in Abuja and its environs to come out en mass to solidarize with our leader.
“Meanwhile, there will be no lockdown tomorrow in any part of Biafra land as a result of the court appearance. Biafrans residents in Biafra land, as well as visitors to Biafra land, are free to go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestations or intimidation.
“We have not asked or authorised anybody to monitor or enforce any lockdown. Again, there will be no lockdown in Biafra land for tomorrow’s court appearance of our Leader.
“Only Biafrans and friends of Biafra in Abuja and its environs that are encouraged to be at the court premises.
“As a non-violent movement, we urge everyone to remain peaceful and law-abiding in all their conduct. Security operatives should also refrain from infringing on the fundamental rights of people who come to cheer our leader.”
