The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu was arrested on October 14, 2015, and arraigned alongside four others on an 11-count charge of alleged terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory matter, illegal possession of firearms, and improper importation of goods, among others.
He subsequently pleaded not guilty to the charges and was in 2017 admitted to bail in the sum of N100 billion with three sureties in like sum. A few months after he was granted bail on health grounds, Kanu fled Nigeria in September 2017, after the military invaded his family’s home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State.
The situation led the Federal Government to apply for the revocation of his bail which was granted in 2019, by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Besides, the court ordered the arrest of the IPOB leader, wherever he may be found.
Based on the court’s order, a combined security agents in collaboration with international police, arrested Kanu and forcefully brought him back to Nigeria, to continue his trial. He was thereafter re-arraigned by the Federal Government on an amended 15-count charge, bordering on treasonable felony, amongst others.
However, the Kanu legal team led by constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, prayed the court to dismiss the fresh charge and free Kanu, claiming that the illegal process through which Kanu was brought into the country rendered the charge incompetent and robbed the court of jurisdiction.
In her judgment, the court struck out eight out of the 15 count charges and ordered Kanu to stand trial on the remaining charge. Not satisfied, Kanu approached the appellate court to challenge the decision of the High Court which quashed the judgment of the lower court, prompting the Federal Government to approach the Supreme Court for a redress.
On December 15, the Supreme Court voided the judgment of the appellate court ordered the retrial of Mr Kanu.
Speaking virtually on the “Southeast political Roundtable”, a current affairs radio programme on FLO FM in Umuahia on Tuesday, Kalu said that talks were ongoing to free Kanu.
A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, on Tuesday, quoted Kalu as advising South-East youths to stop forthwith the sit-at-home directive of IPOB, noting that it was scaring many investors away from the region.
Kalu who also spoke on the gains of the recently unveiled Peace In Southeast Project in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State asked those carrying arms to lay down their weapons and join in the non-kinetic approach being canvassed by the initiative to end the security challenges and other agitations of the people.
He said, “We can’t put all our programmes and plans on social media. He’s my brother. Is he in the mix of what we are trying to do? Yes! It’s one of our agendas to ensure he’s released. Who wants their brother to be in jail? We are working underground. There’s a detailed strategy. It’s not by violence, you can’t coerce the government through violence. It has never worked and won’t work. Let’s be wiser. The wisdom is in peace. Let’s quench the violence.
“If it’s chaotic, it won’t work. Let’s cool down. Let the man see that you’ve recognised he didn’t contribute to locking him up and that he has not done anything to the Southeast. We should support him and his government and not attack him. I’m standing firmly against the voice of violence, preaching peace. That is what I’m here for, this voice of peace will echo through the Villa, and he will come out. Mr President was happy with what happened in Bende and that the whole country could gather together and support this project.
“Our strength does not lie in how many guns we carry, on how many people we threaten not to come out on Monday, that is not the display of the strength of an Igbo man. Igbo men are not lazy people who like sitting at home from Saturday to Sunday to Monday and go to work only Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, that is not us; we are hard-working, we are rebuilders, we are never down and when we are down, we find a way to stand on our feet and raise our shoulders and rebuild again, that is my call to our people.
“We can bring you into the rebuilding that we are doing. We can bring you into the reconciliation. We can bring you in for rehabilitation and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is interested in the Igbos. Look at what he has done by giving us the Chief of Naval Staff which we never got in the last eight years. Did I just mention the Naval Chief, what about the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, my good friend?
“Mr President gave the Ministry of Works to an Igbo son that proves himself in Ebonyi and he said, come and build what you did in Ebonyi in the entire Nigeria starting from the five States of the Southeast and the only way we pay the President back is to say there will be no work on Monday?”
