Court orders Kanu’s release from detention Jubilation as Nnamdi Kanu regains freedom
Kanu’s release, a triumph over injustice —MASSOB
Implement Confab report now—Ohanaeze
By Chidi Nkwopara, Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Francis Igata & Ugochukwu Alaribe
FIVE persons were, yesterday, shot
dead at the Niger Bridge Head, while seven others sustained varying
degrees of injuries when members of the Indigenous people of Biafra,
IPOB, and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra,
MASSOB, clashed with Joint Task Force, JTF, comprising the Army and the
Police, which mounted road block at the Niger Head Bridge.
Four of the victims shot dead were members of both IPOB and MASSOB,
while one person is said to be a soldier, who was grabbed by the mob,
angry with the way soldiers opened fire on the jubilating crowd that
included non pro-Biafra agitators, and fell four of them before they ran
for their lives, leaving the victims behind.
All the markets around the Niger Bridge Head, including the Bridge
Head Market, Onitsha Patent and Propitiatory Medicine Dealers Market
(Ogbo Ogwu Market) and other markets located around the bridge,
including Abada Market were quickly shut down, following sporadic
shooting by the military to scare the jubilant crowd away.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, ordered
the Department of State Service, DSS, to immediately release the
detained leader of IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
The court directed that Kanu, who had been in detention since October 17, should be released “unconditionally.”
Ruling on the fundamental rights suit by Kanu, the trial judge,
Justice Ademola Adeniyi, said there was no basis for the applicant to
remain in custody since there was currently no charge pending against
him.
The court order came barely 24 hours after an Abuja Chief
Magistrate’s Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, struck out a one-count
charge the Federal Government preferred against the IPOB leader.
Meanwhile, according to an eye-witness at the Onitsha Head Bridge,
who was coming from Asaba end of the bridge, the Biafra agitators were
said to be marching on the road near the River Niger Bridge, chanting
solidarity songs in jubilation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, and were
accosted by the soldiers, who ordered them to go back, and disagreements
ensued before the soldiers allegedly opened fire on them.
Another version of the story had it that, the pro-Biafra agitators
and those sympathetic to their cause, were jubilating, singing and
dancing near the bridge and in annoyance, the soldiers, who had been
guiding the bridge since the last shooting, during which unarmed nine
protesters were killed and 18 others injured, opened fire on them,
gunning down four.
FILE:
The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest over the Arrest
of the Director of Radio Biafra along Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ali
Okechukwu confirmed the clash and accused the pro-Biafra agitators of
mobilizing over I00 of their members to launch attack on the soldiers at
the Niger Bridge Head and even tried to dispossess them of their guns.
The PPRO, who was silent on the number of people killed, said: “I
learnt that there was a disagreement between the Army, IPOB and MASSOB
members, who mobilized over I00 of their members to attack soldiers at
the Niger Bridge Head.”
He said that he was trying to get the Army authorities to ascertain
the true position of the incident, but unfortunately they were not
picking their calls. He was also not forth-coming on the number of
casualties at press time, and requested that he be given enough time to
make calls to ascertain the true position of things.
Speaking on the incident, leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu said the
news of the release of Mr. Kanu elicited singing, dancing and
jubilation in Onitsha and other ‘Biafran’ lands and those in Onitsha
took their dance to Chukwemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu plaque at the Niger
Bridge Head and out of envy, and because of the singing and dancing,
and banters they were throwing with one another, the soldiers, who
mounted a road-block there, opened fire on the dancing protesters and
killed four.
He said that no amount of intimidation, harassment and killing of
their members will make them resort to violence, adding that “the
military is doing all sorts of things to push us into violence, but we
will never do that because that is what has been setting us free in all
the harassment and intimidation we have been going through.”
Vanguard gathered that immediately the four people were
killed, the Police, Army, Navy and Civil Defencee, that had been
harassing and intimidating the residents and subjecting them to all
sorts of dehumanizing treatment at their check-points, including
raising up their hands before crossing their check-points, abandoned the
roads.
The busy Onitsha Owerri Road, Asaba Onitsha Enugu expressway, were a
shadow of themselves as people deserted the roads for fear of being
shot by the military and the Police, who were said to be regrouping to
confront the IPOB and MASSOB members.
Seven people, who sustained bullet wounds, were transferred to Multi
Care Hospital, Onitsha and the bodies of the dead were said to have
been taken to a yet to be identified hospital in Onitsha.
Kanu entitled to right to liberty
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court ruling by Justice Adeniyi, came
barely 24 hours after an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse
Zone 2, struck out a one-count charge the Federal Government preferred
against the IPOB leader.
Justice Adeniyi, yesterday, held that Kanu was entitled to his right
to liberty as enshrined in section 35(1) (4) and (5) of the 1999
Constitution, as amended.
He maintained that the continued detention of Kanu after two months
without trial, was in violation of section 158 of the Administration of
Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Ademola said there was no law permitting the DSS or any other
security agency to detain any Nigerian beyond two months without any
concrete move to try such person before a competent court.
The judge said available facts before him showed that the DSS was not ready to release Kanu on bail.
He, therefore, ordered the DSS to immediately grant unconditional bail to the applicant.
Okorocha commends soldiers for handling IPOB, MASSOB protests
Meanwhile, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has commended the
Nigerian Army for peacefully and tactically handling the recent protest
staged in Owerri by thousands of loyalists of IPOB, and MASSOB.
The governor, who spoke while on a visit to the 34 Field Artillery
Brigade, Obinze, yesterday, also expressed happiness that no life was
lost during the protest in Owerri.
“This administration is very pleased with the way the officers and
men of the Nigerian Army handled thousands of MASSOB members, who staged
a protest in Owerri recently, as well as ensured that there was no
bloodshed,” Okorocha said.
He regretted the poor state of facilities at the Obinze barrack and
assured that he was going to draw the attention of the Federal
Government to the situation in the barrack.
In Enugu, wild jubilation erupted in major streets of Enugu
metropolis, yesterday, as the news of the release of detained Director,
Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu filtered in.
When
Vanguard moved round Ogui Road, New Haven streets in
Enugu, people especially youths, were in a frenzy mood, just as most
relaxation spots were filled to the brim occasioned by his release.
Triumph over forces of injustice
Leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, who had been the arrow-head of the
struggle for Kanu’s release said: “The discharge, dropping of the charge
against Kanu by the Nigerian government is a triumph over forces of
injustice, suppression, oppression and subugation against the oppressed
IPOB.
The World Health Organisation has
declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency,
prompted by growing concern that it could cause birth defects. Until
recently, global health officials paid little attention to the Zika
virus that circulated in the same regions as Dengue and Chikungunya
viruses. It is estimated that four million people could be infected by
the end of the year. Pregnant women have been urged not to travel to
about 24 countries, mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America, where the
outbreak is growing. Zika infection appears to be linked to the
development of unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns.
Many Nigerians do not seem to understand the role of the CBN in an
economy. Some believe that the CBN is an authority in itself and does
not take instruction from government. Yes, it is true that the CBN
enjoys some autonomy; that is as far as its management is concerned. The
CBN is the banker to the Federal Government and its economic and
financial adviser. It is in the final analysis responsible to the
president.
