KANU: IPOB UNKNOWN TO LAW, CAN’T BE BANNED

The Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB yesterday asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to set aside the proscription order made against it by the same court on Wednesday. IPOB made this request in a motion on notice marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/871/17 and filed at the registry of the court yesterday through its lead counsel Ifeanyi Ejiofor. Other lawyers are Maxwell Okpara, Chinwe Umeche, Habila Turshak, P.M Umegborogu and Augustine Ezeokeke.

The court had on Wednesday granted an ex parte application filed and argued by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) seeking for the proscription of IPOB.

IPOB however premised its suit challenging the order on the ground that the ex parte order made on Wednesday by the court was made without jurisdiction. It further argued that there is a clear suppression and misrepresentation of facts in the Attorney General’s affidavit evidence pursuance to which the order was granted.

In addition, it was argued that the order is unconstitutional, as it was made in clear violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to self determination, citing Article 20(1) of the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, now domesticated under Ratification and Enforcement Act (Cap 10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990; Right to fair hearing, Right to freedoms of expression, and the press and Rights to peaceful Assembly and Association; clearly provided for under Sections 36, 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ejiofor further argued that a declaratory order couldn’t be made pursuant to an ex parte application, without hearing from the party against whom the order was made. He however submitted that IPOB does not carry arms and has no history of arm struggle in the exercise of its constitutionally guarantee rights to selfdetermination.

This is coming as IPOB legal team alleged that the court is yet to release to them, the enrolled order and the process filed by the AGF. According to them, “we have requested for that judgement, and up till now, it has not been released to us. We may be forced to approach the National Judicial Council”.

Kinsmen fault calls to depose Kanu’s father

The people of the Afaraukwu Ibeku community have argued that Kanu’s father, Eze Israel Kanu, cannot be deposed as the monarch of the community. A group known as Umuahia Youth Association had given the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, an ultimatum to dethrone the traditional ruler and punish him for the sins of his son. Speaking in Umuahia, under the umbrella body of Ibeku Traditional Rulers Council, the chairman of the council, Eze Henry Ezekwem, flanked by other monarchs, disowned the group, saying that the association is faceless and does not exist in Umuahia. According to them, the IPOB leader is a fullfledged adult and his father cannot be held accountable for his actions.

“We call on Ikpeazu to ignore such call. We don’t even know about the said association. It does not exist in Umuahia. In fact, we commend the governor for rejecting the call and saying openly that he would not dethrone Eze Kanu. Ikpeazu had earlier, while responding to questions ruled out the possibility saying that Eze Kanu and his son Nnamdi are two individuals who are adults and matured enough to be responsible for their actions. He said it would not be fair and proper to visit the iniquity of the son on the father.

A civil servant, simply referred to as Mr. Onwuka, said: “The people making the call are drunkards. They don’t know what it takes to dethrone somebody. Nnamdi is an adult, he is not a child so he should be responsible for his actions, his father cannot be punished for his sin.” Also, Chief Chimechefulam Odoemelam, the traditional Prime Minister of the community, described the call as childish. “Well, it is a childish call.

The traditional ruler, we know him, he had been a peace loving Eze. He has no iota of mischief in his character and in his relationship with his subjects.” “Before this time, our Eze has been a very quiet human being.

Those calling for his dethronement, whether they call themselves Umuahia Youth, we are in this Umuahia, before this time there is nothing like Umuahia Youth Movement. We know that some people who wanted, who are interested in the Ezeship stool wanted to use this as an opportunity to grab the seat, it is not possible.

“I thank God that the Ibeku traditional rulers council has condemned it. I know that every rational human being will condemn such call. And I thank God that the governor in his wisdom did not see any need for such. Like the governor said, the traditional ruler is different from his son. They are two different human beings.

The Eze is a royal father, the son is an adult has his own way of doing things, he is mature enough to think for himself, he knows what is right and wrong, so anybody calling for the dethronement of the Eze doesn’t know what he or she is doing. That is childishness in the first place.”

To Chief Akamiro Ugorji, those calling for the dethronement of Eze Kanu are not serious. “I am from Umuobasi, Isiama Afaraukwu. Eze I O Kanu is our traditional ruler. Those calling for his dethronement did they enthrone him? There are rules guiding his position and only if he flouts the rule before the staff of office could be taken from him, he has not run foul of the code, how will the symbol of authority be taken from him?” One of the women leaders in the community, Charity Gbaruko, said only God could decide when Eze Kanu’s rulership will end.

“We are not part of the call, we don’t support it. He should continue as our ruler until the time God appointed, as long as God has not decided that, he should continue. No enemy will take it from him; he should keep the office because we have no problem with him.

‘Our proscription an error’

The proscribed group, IPOB has however flayed the court order that confirmed the organisation as a terrorist assemblage demanding evidence before the court that justified the proscription. In a statement issued by IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, the group described the order as shameful and concocted fabrication of the Abuja High Court.

“IPOB under the command and leadership of Kanu condemn the disgracefully shambolic, crudely fabricated and concocted order obtained from the Federal High Court in Abuja. “Unarmed, peaceful IPOB should never and cannot be labeled a terrorist organisation when Fulani herdsmen are the ones killing IPOB family members.

The world can now clearly see there is something fundamentally wrong with the Nigerian psyche and it’s propensity to reward evil and punish good. “Nigeria will go down in history as the only country on earth to proscribe a peaceful organisation whilst blood thirsty violent marauders are given financial inducements to stop killing their innocent victims.

“It’s also very appalling and an affront to common sense that the judiciary in Nigeria always allow itself to be manipulated and messed about by whichever government is in power but more so in this dictatorial APC regime as demonstrated through this injudicious order “Legal practitioners all over the world would be wondering what caliber of people make it to the bench in Nigeria if a judge can order the banning of an association that has no history of violence whatsoever”.

Proscription saved our members -Nigeria Traders Union

The Nigeria Harmonised Traders Union has said that the court judgment and the endorsement of the proscribing of IPOB by President Muhammadu Buhari has not only saved Nigeria from disintegration but also saved millions of their members.

The President of the group, Dr. Bature AbdulAziz told newsmen in Kano that the actions of the judiciary in recent times that concern Nigerian unity is something worth commending. “The court has passed judgment, whether it favours government or not, goes a long way in preserving the unity of Nigeria”.

He noted that he and his members are in full supports of the proscription of IPOB and the position of the Federal Government and that of the military. AbdulAziz noted that their happiness on the actions against IPOB was based on the fact that millions of those that would have been victims of the unforeseen death are traders spread across the land.

“Don’t forget that we have no tribes, we don’t talk about religion, colour or even party platform, we are simply Nigerians. Tis is because everywhere you go we are there and if this unfortunate incidence is left to prosper we are the ones to suffer”, the President added. AbdulAziz said the stance of Buhari on anything that stand the way of Nigeria unity is also quite commendable, therefore other Nigerians should rather than accusing the President help him to achieved the building of united front, a country worth living in.

“In specific, let me advise the National Assembly to stop dodging in the names of their constitutional powers causing fraca between them and the executives arm, in this regard the Senate President Bukola Saraki should know that he has no any other country than Nigeria by stopping acts that more or less apolitical”.

FG must expose, prosecute sponsors of IPOB – Arewa

youths Youths from the 19 northern states under the aegis of Arewa Youth Forum (AYF), yesterday in Kaduna said that the only way to put an end to the activities of IPOB is to expose and prosecute those behind the organisation.

AYF also commended the Federal Government for the way and manner it tackled the IPOB issue, insisting that those financing the organisation must be brought to book to make sure that they do not re-emerge under another platform.

“We are happy to hear that the Federal Government is aware of the sponsors and even financial headquarters of IPOB. But we are of the believe that our joy and that of all well meaning Nigerians would be complete when we know the names of these sponsors and they are brought to justice for their crime against the good people of this country.”

“However we want to reiterate that government should be proactive in dealing with these issues when they do arise. It is in view of this that we are calling on the federal government to get to the root of the sponsors and those that are financing such devilish organizations against the country.”

Operation Python Dance, training routine –Army

The Nigerian Army has said that the ongoing Operation Python Dance (Egwueke) in the South East is to ensure adequate security and not to intimidate or engage in violations of rights of the people of the area.

The Deputy Director of Public Relations (82 division) Enugu, Col. Musa Saqur who made the clarifications at the kick off of the second phase of the exercise tagged Egwueke II in Anambra State, said the people should not panic as the entire exercise is to ensure adequate peace stressing that the Army will not tolerate or encourage violations of human rights.