Amended charges: ‘We are prepared for fireworks’, Nnamdi Kanu ’s lawyers tell FG; as IPoB replies DSS over kidnapping allegation

IPOB rejects continuous trial of Kanu

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel to the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has asked the Federal Government and others to expect “legal fireworks” on Thursday.

 

He also said the IPOB legal team is “eminently prepared”.

 

He said this while reacting to the amended charges by the Federal Government against his client.

 

In an update posted on his Facebook page, Ejiofor also said his client is in high spirit ahead of the arraignment.

 

Ahead of his arraignment on October 21, the detained leader of IPOB had asked millions of his supporters to embark on a dry fast.

 

The Federal Government filed an amended seven counts against Nnamdi Kanu, according to one of his lawyers, Maxwell Opara.



Opara stated this in a short interview with journalists on the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja when he accompanied Senator Ifeanyi Uba to file a motion on notice, seeking an order granting him leave to visit Kanu in the custody of the Department of State Services.

 

“The Federal Government has filed an amended seven counts against Kanu”, he said with no details.

 

Reacting to the development, Kanu’s lead counsel Ejiofor said, “I and my colleague, Alloy Ejimakor, had a very fruitful visitation to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. We discussed a wide range of matters, especially concerning Hearing in his case and appearance in court on 21st October, 2021. There will be more on this later.

 

“The coast is now clear for legal fireworks this Thursday, particularly now that we have been served with a purported “Amended Charge” in the Case. We are eminently prepared for Thursday’s outing, and you won’t be disappointed.

 

“Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is in good spirit, awaiting his auspicious outing on Thursday, the 21st Day of October, 2021. He commended those who are in the spirit with him while declaring that Chukwuokike Abiama has ordained this special Day for a victorious outing.

 

“He requested that the fasting, supplications, and prayers should continue, as he noted that they are strongly impacting positively.

 

“He further implored UmuChineke to be steadfast, and keep their eyes steadily on the ball and pray without ceasing, while believing very strongly that this present situation will pass too and it shall end in Praises.



“This THURSDAY is the D-Day, and your solidarity/support must be demonstrated within the confines of the law, as you have always shown.

 

“Onyendu specifically asked us to extend his undiluted love and confidence for Umuchineke.”

 

The federal government included a fresh allegation that Kanu had in furtherance of an act of terrorism, issued a deadly threat that anyone that flouted his sit-at-home order should write his or her will.

 

FG alleged that as a result of Kanu’s directive, banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations were not opened for businesses, with vehicular movements grounded in the South East region of the country.

 

It said the action amounted to an offence contrary to and punishable under 1(2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.

 

Allegations

FG alleged that Kanu had “on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom done in a 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, 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. 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.

 

He was alleged to have committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

 

He was alleged to have between 2018 and 2021, through Radio Biafra, professed to be a member of IPOB, a proscribed organization in Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.

 

In count five of the charges FG alleged that Kanu had on April 22, 2021, in London, United Kingdom, on Radio Biafra, monitored in Enugu and other parts of Nigeria, done an act of terrorism “in that you incited the other members (followers) of the Indegenious People of Biafra, IPOB, a proscribed organization 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, 2013.



Attached in support of the amended charge dated October 14, included a seven-paragraphed affidavit of completion of investigation deposed to by one Loveme Odubo, a prosecutor in the Federal Ministry of Justice.

 

FG equally lined up five witnesses to testify in the matter, among whom are officials of the Department of State Service, DSS, and one Ronald S. who was identified as the manager of a Hotel in Lagos.

 

IPoB replies DSS over kidnapping allegation

Meanwhile, the IPOB have described DSS allegation as the figment of their imagination and that of the Ebonyi State government to create insecurity in Biafraland, blame it on the group in order to achieve their already set objective of declaring state of emergency in a state in South East, which the Nigerian Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has exposed.

 

A statement by IPoB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “IPOB is a freedom fighting movement.

 

“We are not Fulani terrorists that kidnap students and the masses” stated that it is not in the business of kidnapping people, it has been protecting against the invasion and killings by terrorists and killer herdsmen who have been working to take over South East

 

It also promised its accusers that they will not be given any space in South East to introduce kidnapping of people and students, urging everybody to stand up and resist the vampires who derive joy in bloodletting and warned students in South East to be vigilant, alleging that its accusers are planning to replicate students and workers kidnapping in South East.

 

IPoB statement read in part: “The attention of the global movement and family of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the command and leadership of our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been drawn to the fabricated statement by Department of State Services, DSS, claiming that IPOB is planning to kidnap students and workers of federal institutions in South East and South South particularly, those in Ebonyi.

 

“This falsehood from DSS is part of their covert plan to create insecurity in Biafra land, blame it on IPOB in order to achieve their already set objective which the Nigerian Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, has made open by threatening to declare a state of emergency in a Biafra land.



“We want to make it clear to all Biafrans and the world at large, that IPOB is not in the business of kidnapping people.

 

“Biafrans and humanity are very much aware of those who kidnap innocent people and ask for ransom.

 

“Biafrans and humanity are also aware that the Nigerian government is working in collaboration with the kidnappers as they will always negotiate with these evil terrorists and hugely reward them financially in the name of ransom payment.

 

“These terrorists will now use the money given to them by the Nigerian government to purchase more weapons.”

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