HURIWA Says Masked Witnesses For Kanu Is A Travesty Of Justice

A pro-Democracy Non-governmental organization – Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described as a monumental travesty of justice the decision by the Federal High Court Abuja Division to allow for the use of masked witnesses by the office of Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Director of Europe Based Radio Biafra Prince Nnamdi Kanu.

HURIWA said the ill-advised and illegal decision by


Nnamdi Kanu
the Federal High Court to allow masked witnesses is tantamount to allowing ghost witnesses and this constitute a grave abuse of natural justice and represents the disservice to the principles, letters and tenets of the Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights as enshrined in chapter four of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended ) which clearly spells out that an accused person must be afforded all his rights to interrogate genuine witnesses so as to present his side of the matter to enable the judicial forum exercise her authority in a transparent and accountable manner in line with Sections 36 (5) of the constitution that guarantees fair hearings to all accused persons.

In a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the prayer by the current Federal Government to bring in masked witnesses is a clear demonstration of the fact that the current government has not come to equity with clean hands because the basic ethical principle of transparency says that he who must come to equity must do so with clean hands not with distorted and contrived trepidation. “If the government claims that Nnamdi Kanu has committed those outrageous charges being paraded in the Federal High Court then why the apprehension to present clean witnesses rather than invite false witnesses with the predetermined purpose of misguiding the court of law?. We are disappointed that the Court system in Nigeria can in this twenty first century capitulate to the overwhelming blackmail of Federal government officials by granting a prayer for masked witnesses that by all intents and purposes are manifestly unconstitutional and illegal? This same Federal High Court granted an earlier bail order in favor of Nnamdi Kanu which President Muhammadu Buhari failed to respect and openly gave flimsy excuses for this clear disrespect for the authority of the court system but this same court system has failed to sanction the Federal government for this violations but has decided to behave like sycophantic disciples of the Executive Arm of Government “.

HURIWA recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja, had recently granted an order seeking the protection of witnesses during the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Earlier in February, the court refused the federal government’s application to mask its witnesses in Mr. Kanu’s trial
But Justice John Tsoho gave the new ruling after hearing the arguments of both counsels for and against government’s application to produce witnesses protected “by a screen”.
Mr. Kanu and two others, Benjamin Maudubugwu and David Nwawuisi, are standing trial for treason, maintaining an unlawful society, among other charges.
The lead defense counsel, Chuks Muoma, who recounted the various stages of the case since it started in October 2015, accused the prosecution of unwittingly prolonging the matter. HURIWA condemned the way the same Court did a 360 degree turn around to probate and reprobate on the illegal prayer tabled by government to present masked witnesses against Nnamdi Kanu.

https://faithandnature./2016/03/11/huriwa-says-masked-witnesses-for-kanu-is-a-travesty-of-justice/

Following.

Those masked witnesses are false witnesses,period!

Na waa for this country, which kind injustice be this.

Everyone knows it's a game of ojoro. We r mocking our judicial system ourself.
One day this will be used against someone by another party and we shall all start crying a river. It won't be far tho, maybe after the next elections, a lot will come and testify wit eye covered and we shall knw what the judges will say.

If you feel its bad..challenge it in court..abeg hURIWA make. I hear word...una wahala too much

Am not a legal practitioner but I urge our layers to speak out without the fear of favour. It may be u or me tomorrow

Who will accept the ruling from masquerade court? I fore see anarchy and breakdown of the law.

To Uwazurike, if you can speak only when masked, then you are not fit to be called a freedom fighter!

Mack3N:
Those masked witnesses are false witnesses,period!

Biafraandpeace》》 First they ignore you●
》》》》》》》》Then they laugh at you●
》》》》》》》》》Then they fight you●
》》》》》》》》》Then You WIN♥
》》》》 MAHATMA GANDHI

Pls Nigerians we should not allow dis tape of judgment or wetness in Nigeria system of government it is going to destroy judicial and all so destroy Nigeria on da whole. If dis tape of wetness should allow to testify in Nigeria system of government it is a wicked in Nigeria justices and judicial and no body can stope it again.pls da chief justices of Nigeria u should not allow dis tape of wetness to take place in ur tinna .it is going to destroy ur name in Nigeria and in da whole world.