The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused the Federal Government of sidelining the Nigerian Police Force and using the Department of State Services DSS, to convict its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement titled,
“Explaining the charges brought against Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB and Director of Radio Biafra,” by IPOB spokespersons, Mr. Emma Nmezu, a lawyer, and Dr Clifford Iroanya, the group said: “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu deemed it necessary to explain to the public, the frivolous charges brought against Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of State Services, DSS, an agency that President Muhammadu Buhari has unconstitutionally used to replace the Nigeria Police Force.
“This enlightenment series is set to achieve the following objectives;Give accurate information on the number of charges brought against Nnamdi Kanu, distinguish between what is being reported and what is exactly on the charge sheet and to provide the public with relevant information on the laws cited by the DSS on the charge sheet and how relevant they are to the charges brought against Nnamdi Kanu.
“On 20th of January 2016, the DSS arraigned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu along with two other Biafrans. The IPOB leader was arraigned on three charges and not six charges as being erroneously reported by most of Nigeria’s news media.
“In addition, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was never charged with treason as reported by Nigerian news media.
“Contrary to what is being reported, Mr. Kanu’s first charge read: ‘That you, Nnamdi Kanu and other unknown persons, now at large, at London, United Kingdom, between 2014 and September, 2015 with intention to levy war against Nigeria in order to force the President to change his measures of being the President of the Federation, Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation as defined in Section 3 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by doing an act to with: Broadcast on Radio Biafra your preparations for the states in the South- East geo-political zone, South-South geo-political zone, the Igala Community of Kogi State and the Idoma/Igede Community of Benue State to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and form themselves into a Republic of Biafra, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.’’
The statement continued: “They alleged That Nnamdi Kanu and an indeterminate number of persons whom the DSS don’t even know have formed an intention to levy war against Nigeria. In addition, the DSS are asserting that both Nnamdi Kanu and these unknown persons committed the treasonable felony act in London, United Kingdom.
That the period within which Nnamdi Kanu and these indeterminate number of ‘unknown persons’ performed this act was from 2014 (no specific date and month in 2014) to September 2015 (no specific date in the month of September).
“That the method in which they committed the treasonable felony as defined by 41-C was by broadcasting on Radio Biafra.
And that what they did by broadcasting on Radio Biafra was their preparation of the states in South-East and South-South geo-political zones to secede from Nigeria to form Republic of Biafra.
“That Igala Community in Kogi state and Idoma/Igede Community in Benue state were also part of the areas that will form the Republic Biafra which will secede from Nigeria.
That the action explained above qualifies for the condition specified in 41-C for treasonable felony of which the punishment upon conviction is life imprisonment for Nnamdi Kanu and those indeterminate number of “unknown persons”.IPOB promised to raise some pertinent questions in the next enlightenment edition series having broken down the charges as they were in the charge sheet.
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