The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday accused the presiding Judge, Justice John Tsoho handling the case of its leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and two others of being biased and should hands off the case immediately.
The group alleged that Justice Tsoho had instituted a secret trial because according to them the public was barred from attending the hearing on Tuesday, stressing that only a handful of newsmen were permitted to cover proceedings.
A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful noted that the judge’s action was against an earlier court ruling that the trial will be held in the open.
“It is worth noting that the same DSS are the ones stopping the public from entering the court room, contrary to the ruling of the same Judge Tsoho.
“How many times will Justice Tsoho turn against his own ruling in his own court? the group asked rhetorically.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has demanded the immediate release of Kanu, Benjamin Onwuka of Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) and 23 other pro-Biafran detainees at Awka and Onitsha prisons since 2006.
The group demanded the unconditional release, saying their continued detention has exposed the incompetency and biased mind of Nigeria judiciary.
The National Director of Information of MASSOB, Samuel Edeson disclosed this in a statement issued after the pro-Biafra agitators’ emergency meeting at MASSOB’s headquarters in Okwe, yesterday.
According to Edeson: “The more Nnamdi Kanu is being detained, the more Nigerians suffer diplomatic damage and shame. MASSOB will continue to partner with IPOB, lower Niger Congress and Biafran groups in the Diaspora for genuine agitation. “We shall never relent as Nigeria’s persecution, arrest, detention and killings will never deter us from pressing for Biafra.”
He noted that the group has concluded plans to attend an International Conference on the Rights of Indigenous People and self-determination which will hold in a Western European country soon.
MASSOB and the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), have also given the Police in Anambra State seven days ultimatum within which to release the bodies of the 75l members of the organisations allegedly killed for using Biafra insignia.
The leadership of the organisations alleged that the police in Anambra State have killed about 75 of their members since the MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, launched Biafra insignia in Igboland .
They gave the police in the state 7-day ultimatum to handover the corpses to them to enable them give the deceased befitting burial.
Briefing newsmen in Onitsha on the consequences of not handing over the corpses to them at the expiration of the ultimatum, the Anambra West and Awka North Regional Administrators, Wilfred Aninze and Chukwuma Nwoba respectively, vowed to use all means to recover the corpses. They said, “we are being disturbed by these corpses to accord them befitting burial and the police cannot stop us from doing that.”
According to them, those killed include Ifeanyi Agbo and Michael Ogba from Ebonyi State, Joseph Okeke from Ezeagu in Enugu State, Godwin Omahi from Ohozala in Ebonyi State and Obeta Nwaeze Nsukka, Enugu State, and their families still pressurise us to produce their corpses for befitting burial to stop their spirits from hovering around and disturbing us.
“That we are a non violent body struggling for a Sovereign State of Biafra does not mean that we are weak, we will no longer take this assault from the Police in Biafra land,” they posited. (Daily Sun)
