By NewsBits
Worried by the clampdown on demonstrators for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) on March 31, 2023, the Civil Society has called for respect of the fundamental human rights of the protesters.
They said, “Peace protest everywhere in the world is allowed in civil society because it is civil disobedience every democratic law allows. That is why the human rights group: Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), has called on the Police, Department of Security Services (DSS), the military and all paramilitary in Nigeria to stop further harassment of the leaders of “Release Nnamdi Kanu Protest” held at Aba City on March 31, 2023.
The protesters gathered at Ngwa Road, and were heading towards Port Harcourt Road Junction, when the combined team of Army, Police, Navy and Civil Defense, armed to the teeth, came shutting sporadically, which resulted to the killing of five demonstrators on the spot, while fifteen were seriously wounded.
The demonstrators dispersed, but the shutters were poised to arresting the leaders, but the confused atmosphere led to their escape. The team of armed security operatives went everywhere, searching for the houses of the leaders (organizers) of the protest, and as they discovered the house of one of them – Mr. Ekenna Egwunba Victor, they went there in the night of the same 31st March of 2023, and shot him dead.
With this scenario, the organizers had to run for their dear lives, away from both families and friends who do not know their whereabouts until date. The arrest of the Leaders (Organizers) of the Protest : Chidi Sydney Nnajioffor, Iwuchukwu Samuel Chigozie , Otti David Anyanwu, Nkwonta Sampson Moha, Nwafor Joshua Chukwuemeka, Anyamele Davidson Chijioke and Kelechi Innocent Otanka, have been in the hiding since.
Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) a foremost civil society group in Nigeria, hereby calls on the Nigerian security outfit to stop further intimidation, arrest, and detention of unarmed protesters as it is allowed in all democratic settings world over. The demonstration was meant to prevail on the Federal Government of Nigeria to obey both High and Appeal Court orders to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB Leader was arrested in Kenya on 19th June 2021, and illegally and extra-ordinarily extradited to Nigeria against all known international laws.
CLO affirms that this is one of the worst abuses of human rights. The High Court giving judgment on a suit on Kanu’s behalf, mandated the Federal Government to send Kanu back to Kenya, from where he was extradited to Nigeria on June 27, 2021.
A Federal High Court in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State issued the judgment, and ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a sum of N500 million for wrongful arrest and detention.
The court said the government should pay Kanu the sum as compensation for illegally kidnapping him and violating his rights as a human in Kenya. Corroborating the judgment of the Federal High court, on Thursday, October 13, 2022, the court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, quashed (discharged Nnamdi Kanu) the 15-count terrorism charge the Federal Government preferred against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The appellate court ordered Mr Kanu’s release on account of his unlawful repatriation from Kenya to Nigeria to face the terrorism charges. But the government appealed the decision at the Supreme Court, declining to release the IPOB leader. Many high rank and civilised personalities in Nigeria have joined the High and Appeal courts to call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark has asked the Federal Government to obey the Court Order and immediately release the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, the apex socio-cultural body of Igbos has also condemned the arrest and expressly called onthe Federal Government to obey court order and release Nnamdi Kanu. Pa Adebayo, the Leader of Afenifere, the socio-cultural organization of the Yorubas unequivocally called on the Federal Government to immediately obey court order and release Nnamdi Kanu.
Despite these avalanches of clarion calls to obey court order and release Nnamdi Kanu, the Federal Government of Nigeria has continued to pay deaf ears to democratic order and has been detaining Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody.
This is what informed the demonstration at Aba on 31st March 2023 by IPOB members led by Chidi Sydney Nnajiofor, Iwuchukwu Samuel Chigozie, Ekenna Egwunba Victor, Otti David Anyanwu, Nkwonta Sampson Moha, Nwafor Joshuea Chukwuemeka, Anyamele Davidson Chijioke and Kelechi Innocent Otanka.
Equally CLO, has lambasted the Pronouncement of John Tsoho -led Federal High Court Abuja that Nnamdi Kanu is a terrorist like Boko Haram and bandits, and so, has to be treated like a terrorist, and so, granted secret trial of Nnamdi Kanu, contrary to known open trial of democratic order., where no journalist or bailer or relative or friend or well- wisher approached.
The secret trial was made known on Friday, April 8, 2022: Refer to Daily Independent Newspapers. CLO, therefore, concludes that protest against ill-treatment of the citizens against the constitution must continue and it is just and equitable to do so in a democratic setting, calling it civil disobedience. Submitted by Comrade Kindness Jonah, Civil Liberties Organization-CLO, Eastern Zonal Headquarters, 22, Edinburgh Road, Ogui New Layout, Enugu, Nigeria, West Africa, +234- 80 3666 2901
