It is being said that the secret
trial of the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB)
started
yesterday, Tuesday, in Abuja. Kanu was arrested in 2015 and charged to court by
the federal government for treasonable felony alongside three others namely David
Nwawuisi, Benjamin Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiw. Kanu was allegedly brought into the court
premises for his secret trial under heavy security in an enclosed Hilux van.
Most journalist were turned away by court security personnel from covering the event and only those with
federal high court tags were allowed access to the court room.
Mr. Kanu’s trial ended abruptly on
December 13 and he angrily challenged the court’s ruling to instigate the use
of protected witnesses. Mrs. Nyako, the presiding judge had ruled that
witnesses would be give some degree of protection.
In her words “The counsel and the
defendants will see the witnesses. The witnesses will have special entrances to
and outside the court”.
Mrs Nyako also added that the
witnesses will be shielded with screen guards during court proceedings. She
said rehearsals will be held on how the witnesses will access and exit the
court room.
It is alleged that the ruling was
enforced on Tuesday as the Judge, defendants and witnesses were screen-guarded
from the rest of the court.
During court proceedings, a large number
of armed police officers and state security service operatives manned the court
gates. It is alleged that some journalists were later allowed in after Mr. Kanu’s
lawyer spoke against journalist being barred form covering court proceedings.
Nnamdi Kanu called for the independence
of territories that constituted the Biafran republic and that was reanexxed to Nigerian
in 1970 after a civil way that claimed millions of lives. Before his arrest,
Kanu was the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra group and ran a London-based
radio station called Radio Biafra. Known for his vile and harsh comments
directed towards the government of the day, Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on October
14, 2015 in his hotel room at Golden Tulip hotel, Lagos State by agents of the
state security service. His continued detention despite several court orders
that ruled for his release has sparked outrage and riot by loyal members of the
Biafra group. The news of his arrest generated mass protests in Delta State,
Enugu State, Rivers State, Abia State, Imo State, Akwa Ibom State and Anambra
State.
In December 2015, Nnamdi’s wife,
Uchechi Okwu-Kanu described her husband as a ‘prisoner of conscience’. She expressed fears about her husband’s health
and well-being because he was being tortured by the Nigerian State Security
Service. Uchechi defended her husband’s struggle and argued that all Biafrans
had the right to self –determination. She said that the Nigerian government should
release her husband and initiate round-table discussions as against unlawful incarceration.
I really hope Kanu Nnamdi comes out pretty
soon. It makes no sense holding him in detention this long without proper
trial. The world is watching the Nigerian Judicial system to see how this will
end. Barring journalists only increases the impression of people on how biased
and corrupt the Nigerian judicial system has become.
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