Ahead of the trial of the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday, the governorship candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the November 6 Anambra State poll, Ifeanyi Ubah, a senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, sought an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja to visit the detained IPOB chief. Kanu is in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS).
This is happening as Abuja amends the seven-count charges against the IPOB leader.
Count 1:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male adult of Afaraukwu lbeku Umahia North Local Government Area of Abia State being the leader of the Indigenous People of Bialra (IPOB) on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015 in London, United Kingdom, did broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu and other areas within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, preparations made by you and others now at large for states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue States to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to constituting same into the Republic of Biafra and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Count 2:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area ot Abia State, on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom did broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count 3:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male adult of Afaraukwu lbeku Umahia North Local Government Area of Abia State between the month of March and April 2015 imported into Nigeria and kept in Ubulusiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court , a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L concealed in a container of used household which you declared as used household items and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 47 (2) of the Criminal Code of Act ,Cap C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Count 4:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult. of Afaraukwu iIbeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State in London, United Kingdom between 2018 and 2021 Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and FCT, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, professed to be a member of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 16 Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 5:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on the 22th of April, 2021 in London, United Kingdom on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act of terrorism in that you incite the other members (followers) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB}, a proscribed organisation in Nigeria, to look for security personnel, their family members through a Radio Biafra on 102.1FM monitored through the IPOB Community Radio and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
Count 6:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia Stale on the 16thh of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by making a broadcast that “In 2 weeks’ time, what will happen will shake the world, people will die, the whole world will stand still, mark my word” and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 7:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on the 31st of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by issuing a deadly threat that anyone who flouted your sit-at-home order should “write his/her will,” as a result banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations were not opened for businesses and vehicular movements grounded and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Perhaps, Ubah’s aim is to ride on the popular crest of IPOBists to the Government House, Awka. That has been his ambition for a long time now. As such, if riding on the fire of Biafra agitation in the area can guarantee is ambition of succeeding Governor Willie Obiano, so be it.
After all, 2019 Vice Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi has said that Kanu and Sunday Igboho are more popular than all politicians put together in their respective regions. The duo are agitating for Nigeria’s break-up. While Kanu is being detained by Nigeria’s secret police, Igboho is being detained in Benin Republic after his arrest in the West African country as he was trying to flee to Germany.
However, according to Obi, a former governor of Anambra, Igboho and Kanu were made popular by their messages because of the dearth of hope for the Nigerian populace. He was speaking at National Security Challenge: Youths neglect? event in Abuja.
“In the South-West, Sunday Igboho is far more popular than all the politicians put together. In the South-East, Nnamdi Kanu is far more popular than all the politicians put together’’, Obi said, noting that the agitation for the breakup of Nigeria was fuelled by lack of hope, adding “what drives people to live in a country is hope”.
However, Ubah who sought the order in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, which was dated and filed on October 15, by Agugoesi Ikem, his counsel, pointing out that as a senator from the South-East, he wishes to carry out oversight legislative functions to visit Kanu to ascertain “if he is involved in any way in what is happening in the South-East.”
Going by the notice, the governorship candidate is requesting “an order of this honourable court granting leave to Senator Ifeanyi Ubah to visit the defendant, Nnamdi Kanu, as part of his oversight legislative function”. He is also praying for “an order of this honourable court directing the complainant and/or the Department of State Services(DSS) to allow the said Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah access to their detention facility for purposes of visiting the defendant, Nnamdi Kanu”.
In the affidavit to support the motion, Ubah said as a lawmaker from the South-East, it is his responsibility to promote peace and security: “That I know that the defendant in this matter was arrested and brought into Nigeria by the Department of State Services(DSS) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and since he was brought into Nigeria, he had been detained at the detention facility of the DSS pending his trial.
“That I know that the defendant was charged with several offences and the DSS had only produced him on one occasion in court. That there is an allegation that criminalities are being championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra under the leadership of the detained defendant; an allegation which has been denied severally; yet the situation continues to worsen.
“That I visited and intend to visit the defendant in my capacity as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and for purposes of attempting to ameliorate and fashion a meeting point or create a discussion table aimed at reducing tension and quelling the agitation and killings in the South-East.”
The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the suit that is likely to give Ubah some political edge over his opponents in the November 6 gubernatorial election. But, that will depend on how he masterly take advange of the situation if the court grants his prayer to visit the IPOB leader in detention. .
