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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has berated the Supreme Court accusing them of failing to deliver fair justice in the face of the nation’s complex challenges.
The secessionist group stated while reacting to the court’s ruling on Friday, which upheld the detention of the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, in a statement which was sent to The Eastern Updates denounced the Supreme Court’s decision, emphasising its apparent inability to dispense fair judgments in the current context of Nigeria’s numerous problems.
“The world and Biafrans worldwide have seen the incapacity of the Supreme Court and their judges,” he added. ‘The global world will ask them questions and why allow Nigeria to scatter so quickly. IPOB will watch what is happening in Nigeria during this period.’
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The statement expresses IPOB’s deep concern about the judicial system’s handling of this sensitive case and implies that the organisation is closely monitoring the situation in Nigeria with international attention.
The Eastern Updates reports that in the judgment that was prepared by Justice Garba Mohammed, the apex court held that there is no legislation in the country that stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to proceed with Kanu’s case, irrespective of the illegal action taken by the Federal Government against him.
Justice Emmanuel Agim who read the judgment held that the legal remedy available for Kanu was for him to file a civil suit against the government. “The court of appeal was wrong to say that the trial court cannot try Kanu. It can,” the apex court said.
“There is no legislation that provides that a trial court will not have jurisdiction where a prosecution violates a person’s right.
“Certainly, we decided not to go with the Court of Appeal decision,” Justice Agim said. He said as much as the apex court strongly condemned what the prosecution did, Nigeria must protect its image through adherence to International and local law.
“The Nigerian law has not stated that the court should decline jurisdiction from trying a case even if law enforcement has violated the rights of a person. Our law is that evidence illegally obtained is valid before the court. A violation of Mr Kanu’s right should have been by way of civil proceedings. That is not our law for now,” Mr Abubakar declared.
Regardless, the court slammed FG, saying it must be conscious of its image, both locally and internationally, even as it knocked the trial court for revoking Kanu’s bail after he escaped to save his life following the invasion of his home by security agents.
The IPOB leader, who was first arrested by security agents in Lagos on October 14, 2015, has been in detention since June 29, 2021.
