The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) yesterday
strongly kicked against ruling of the Judge of a
Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Binta Nyako, that
the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra
(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and 3 others standing trial
before her court would be secretly tried.
The court had ordered that Kanu and his team
members be tried secretly for leading a self
determination struggle.
Kanu had earlier caused a major stir in the
courtroom when he rejected secret trial.
CLO while describing such ruling as strange and
demonstration of the judge’s ignorance of
constitutional law, wondered when masquerades
had become human beings in Nigeria to bear
witnesses against living humans
In a press statement signed by the CLO Executive
Director, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, the group
called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria as the Head
of the Judicial Arm of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria to call Justice Binta Nyako to order and
remind her that there is a gross difference between
a military dictatorship and a democracy that Nigeria
runs at the moment.
“The Court cannot be used as an agent or
instrument by dictators to abuse the due process of
the law and infringe on the rights of the citizens. It
is reprehensible, shameful and, indeed, despicable.
“We make bold to say that the right to self
determination is not a crime but a legitimate
aspiration of all peoples all over the world to
enforce their right to freedom or independence,
choice of the political system and an own
government under which they desire to operate and
live in, a right protected by the provisions of the
United nations mechanisms and the African Charter
on Human & Peoples Rights (Banjul Charter) to
which Nigeria is a signatory.
“We, as Nigeria’s leading human rights organisation,
do not see any crime committed by Kanu and his
three Igbo kinsmen. They lead an organization that
its members do not carry arms or operate in
secrecy nor threaten the peace of the society.
“Despite wicked and unprovoked killing, maiming
and raping of their members and members of other
Pan Biafran movements running into over 700
armless persons in South Eastern and South
Southern Nigeria including those in churches, they
have not done anything that has threatened the
peace of the public.
“It, therefore, behooves on their accusers to present
clear evidences that would represent them as
terrorists and not to concoct frivolous evidences
against them. In view of the foregoing, CLO sees no
justifications for Justice Nyako’s ruling to try the
ethnic rights activists in secret in total disregard for
our laws and human rights”, he said.
The organization also called on the United Kingdom
whom they described the country’s silence since
Kanu who is a British citizen’s incarceration as
worrisome and international community to speak
out.
“The ingredients of democracy include but not
limited to respect for the rule of law, popular
participation or inclusiveness, and regard for human
rights, basic freedoms and due process”, the
statement noted.
