IPOB PRESS RELEASE,
21/02/2023.

We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by the great liberator of our time Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu are very concerned about the lack of progress in the matter before the Supreme Court of Nigeria concerning the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The delay, neglect or refusal by the Nigerian Supreme Court for more than three months now and counting to fix a date to determine the appeal before them about the Extraordinary Rendition and illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu raises some doubts and questions as to whether the Nigerian Supreme Court has made itself complicit and a willing tool in the hands of the Nigerian government to delay and impliedly deny justice to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

It should be recalled that the Appeal Court in Abuja had on the 13th of October 2022 discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and barred the Federal Government from further prosecuting him in any court in Nigeria. Rather than obeying the Appeal Court Order, the Federal Government ran to the Supreme Court on appeal.

In what seemed to be connivance between the Supreme Court Judges and the Federal Government of Nigeria to continue the illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Supreme Court has refused to fix a date to hear the appeal before it even though a gross violation of the Fundamental Human Rights of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has taken place and continue to take place with his continued detention at the Nigerian Gestapo Secret Police the DSS. Also, the deteriorating health condition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in detention seems not to be of concern to the Supreme Court Justices in propelling them into having an expedited hearing on this very case that has assumed an important International dimension.

As it is today, the Federal Government of Nigeria is in contempt of its court by illegally holding MNK in the DSS solitary confinement. This abnormal and worrying attitude of the Supreme Court raises the concern that they are either in connivance with the Federal Government to keep MNK illegally detained against Appeal Court Orders or they have been intimidated by the cabals in the Executive arm of the Nigeria Government into denying justice to an innocent man.

IPOB has observed that the Nigerian judiciary being the third arm of government is not adequately and rigorously exercising its Constitutional mandate in the dispensation of Justice to the common man who looks up to the Judiciary as his/her last hope.

This delay in hearing the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, juxtaposed with concurrent actions on other less important cases before it such as the Old Naira Note case which the Supreme Court heard expert and heard the substantive matter a week or so later leaves the Biafran people and the discerning public with the only probable conclusion that the Nigerian Supreme Court is being controlled by forces outside of the Judiciary as an equal and Independent arm of government presupposing therefore that the Supreme Court Administrators are taking instructions from the Presidency and the political Cabals before dispensing justice.

It is instructive to note that the same Nigeria Supreme Court that is now dragging its feet in hearing the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has presided over some cases that are now threatening the peace and security of South Eastern Nigeria specifically, it is the Supreme Court that ignited the consuming fire of impunity, destruction of properties and livelihood of Ndi Imo, burning of Markets, insecurity of the highest order, and mass murder in Imo State through the imposition of Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo state. This is a man rejected by Imo voters and people at large, who came in a distant fourth position after the polls, but the Supreme Court, with their magic abracadabra, made him the governor.

The Supreme Court Similarly presided over the Ahmed Lawan case in which the current Senate President who never contested in the APC primary elections, was declared an APC senatorial candidate for his constituency by the same Supreme Court Justices. Most recently the Supreme Court created national confusion in a currency swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN by allowing themselves to assume original jurisdiction in a matter that was supposed to go to High Court. The Supreme Court Justices have been bamboozled by undue executive interference and possible blackmail topped up with probable corrupt inducements.

If our assertion based on what’s going on with our leader’s case is anything to go by, it means that the Nigeria State is in pari passu with the Taliban of Afghanistan, Idi Amin of Uganda, and Hitler of Germany where every arm of government are held hostage by tyrants in power. Gone are the days when we say that the courts are the last hope of a common man. This slogan is now history in Nigeria due to the flagrant disobedience to Court Orders by the lawless Executives and the inability of the judiciary to ensure that their orders are adhered to.

We are watching the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which incidentally is a constitutional court to redeem its battered image on the case of the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu which has been filed before them. They have a choice to legalize and institutionalize extraordinary rendition, which is an international crime or put the lawless and reckless to order.

The executive arm of government is led by corrupt political cabals to order.

The men of the bench have the chance to demonstrate to the world that Nigeria is not a pariah state by promptly dispensing globally acceptable justice or sinking Nigeria’s battered image further into the pit of infamy and disrepute. The world and the international communities are watching Nigeria through the prism of a failed state.

The case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has come to challenge the courage and independence of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court and most especially the constitutionality and foundation of Nigeria.

COMRADE EMMA POWERFUL, MEDIA, AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY FOR IPOB.