…as group defies police order to protest in Delta, Abia, Enugu states
Judge fails to show up in court over Nnamdi Kanu’s case
Cleric denies appointment as Biafra INEC commissioner
By Vincent Ujumadu, Festus Ahon, Nwabueze Okonkwo, Ugochukwu Alaribe &
Chimaobi Nwaiwu
It was a theatre of confusion, yesterday in Aba as eight members of the the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, were allegedly shot dead by the military
during their peaceful protest over the continued detention of their leader,
Nnamdi Kanu, according to the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful .
The Director of Radio Biafra, Mr Kanu was supposed to appear at the Federal
High Court Abuja, yesterday, but the much awaited case was adjourned due to
the absence of the judge.
The adjournment came as a shock to IPOB members, who gathered at the court
premises and its environs early yesterday morning waiting to see their leader,
but were sadly shocked when it was announced that the case had been
postponed indefinitely.
No formal communication was made to the lawyers of the detained Biafran
activist and no reason was given as to why the judge was absent from the
court.
It would be recalled that the case was assigned to a new judge, Hon. Justice
John Tsoho, after many weeks of searching for a judge. It is also not yet
clear whether Justice John Tsoho abandoned this case as his colleague,
Justice A. Mohammed did sometime in the past.
The case has been adjourned to January 21, amidst speculation that another
judge might be appointed for the controversial trial.
The members and sympathizers of the leader of IPOB were gathered eagerly
waiting to get a glance of the leader, but were shocked when it was announced
that the court date had been adjourned.
The action of the judge appeared to confirm the speculation that no judge
would want to get involved in this case as their judgment may not be respected
by the Department of State Services,DSS, and the Federal Government.
Protests in Delta, Enugu, Abia
Irked by the development, the IPOB, yesterday, defied directive of the Police on
the ban of public protest/procession and staged a peaceful protest in Asaba, the
State capital, Enugu and Abia over the continued detention of the Director of
Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu by operatives of the DSS.
The protesters in Delta, who marched from Abraka Motor Park through Nnebisi
Road to Okpanam Road from about 12 noon to 3:30p.m., caused serious traffic
grid along Nnebisi Road as commuters, who were taking their wards from
school and other road users were stranded for several hours.
Speaking to Vanguard , the Delta State Coordinator of IPOB, Jonah Chukwuma,
called on the Federal Government to immediately release Kanu and grant
freedom to the Biafra people.
His words: “We are protesting for the release of our director, our leader, Nnamdi
Kanu, that the ‘zoo’ people are still holding. Let them release him now .
Secondly, let them grant us our freedom because we cannot be slaves forever.
“We are tired of staying in this country called Nigeria; we want our own country,
which is Biafra, that is what we are agitating for. We are peaceful people, we
are non-violent. As you can see, our rally is a peaceful one. We are protesting
so that the whole world will hear our voice.”
On why they were protesting in Asaba, Chukwuma said: “We are protesting in
Asaba because Asaba is part of the Biafra land. We have about 25 states that
make up Biafra and as I speak to you now, the protest is going on in these
states, including Abuja.”
The group also, yesterday, lashed out on the Abia State Governor Dr Okezie
Ikpeazu and his Rivers State counterpart, Chief Nyesom Wike for their alleged
directive to the security agencies in the two states not to allow them carry out
their protest.
Abia, Rivers govs are impositions
Addressing newsmen in Nnewi, IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma
Powerful said the two state governors are simply seeking for the political
relevance they cannot get from the All Progressives Congress, APC, led
government of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that in spite of the police
threats and some governors’ directive to prevent them from holding their
protests, they held combined protests in Abia, Delta and Enugu states.
He said he is not surprised about the comments of the two governors because
they belong to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and are not popular candidates
in their states.
“They were imposed on their states and may be planning to defect to APC by
making comments that will make them look sympathetic to the APC
government so as to retain the seats they are on the verge of losing.
Aba boils over killings
The Aba killings, according to our correspondents, were triggered off when the
Uchenna Madu faction of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State
of Biafra, MASSOB, clashed with a combined team of soldiers and policemen.
The pro-Biafra groups, who had ordered markets, banks, schools and other
business centres to close shop in solidarity with their protest, converged at the
National High School, on Port Harcourt Road, Aba, from where they attempted
to march and enforce the order, but were quickly dispersed by soldiers and
policemen.
The protesters later converged at the Asa Road and the Main Park area where
they made bonfires and road blocks on Asa and St. Michael’s roads by Mosque
and York streets, which obstructed traffic, leading to another confrontation with
the security agents.
Shops including banks which had opened for business hurriedly closed their
shops while the roads were deserted.
It was also observed that security was beefed up at the Ariaria Police Division
to ensure that the pro-Biafra protesters did not burn the station, while soldiers
were stationed at Milverton, Azikiwe/Asa and Port Harcourt by Ngwa Road
junctions where they ordered passers-by to raise their hands.
Vanguard gathered that the protesters earlier confronted the soldiers at Port
Harcourt Road which led to the death of one of their members. In a similar
clash around the St. Michael’s Road area, a bystander, Chidozie Okafor, was
also hit by a stray bullet and he died before he could receive medical attention.
Speaking on the situation, MASSOB National Welfare Officer, Jude Chukwu, said
the protest was peaceful until soldiers and policemen came and started
shooting and using tear gas. He added that over 30 members of pro-Biafra
protesters sustained bullet wounds and are being treated in various hospitals.
According to him: “The protest was peaceful until soldiers and policemen
started shooting. As I’m talking to you, eight of our members have been shot
dead. They should stop killing our members.. We are only protesting for the
release of our detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.”
When contacted, Abia State Police spokesman, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, who
disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Habila Joshak, had been in Aba
monitoring the situation, told Vanguard that 23 men and three women were
arrested during the protest and urged parents to warn their children against
criminal activities.
Onyeke, however, said he was not aware that anybody was shot dead during
the protest, adding that security agents even heard gunshots from the
protesters.
Delay tactics , a ploy to kill Kanu —Group
However, a human rights group, Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East Zone
had again called on the Federal Government to release the leader of IPOB,
Nnamdi Kanu from detention, based on the four orders of both the Wuse Zone 2
Magistrate court and the Federal High Court 6, Abuja Division.
Chairman of CD in the zone, Uzor Uzor, who spoke to newsmen on phone,
yesterday, in reaction to the allegation that court did not sit to deliberate on
DSS’ fresh treason charge against Kanu, said the executive arm of the
government should not disobey either the legislative or judicial arms of
government.
Uzor said it was very dangerous for the executive to disobey the judicial arm by
refusing to release Kanu as ordered by the courts, adding that the implication
was that the executive is now showing executive lawlessness, which is counter-
productive to democracy and the rule of law.
He accused the Federal Government of applying delay tactics in handling Kanu’s
matter, probably as a systematic approach towards killing him in detention.
He said that they would not be scared of killings or arrests until Kanu is
released and Biafra is restored.
Cleric disowns Uwazurike’s appointment
In a new development, a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Samuel Aniebonam,
who was last week, named as the chairman of Biafra Independent Electoral
Commission, B-INEC, to conduct and supervise the internal election for offices
in his newly -formed Biafra Independent Movement, BIM, had dissociated
himself from the appointment, describing it as a spurious publication linking
him with the Biafra struggle.
In a statement made available to Vanguard in Awka, Aniebonam said he was
surprised that Uwazurike could make such appointment without seeking his
approval and urged the general public to disregard it.


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