IPOB Kanu’s Lawyers Reject Secret Trial, Insist On Media Presence In Court

IPOB: We shall insist on media presence during next hearing, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer vows. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel to the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has vowed that henceforth, there would be media presence in the courtroom during the hearing of the IPOB leader’s case.

He said this while reacting to the allegations against Nnamdi Kanu by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

The Publisher Nigeria learnt that security agents barred lawyers, journalists and Igbo leaders from the trial of Nnamdi on Thursday.

In a Facebook post, the lawyer accused the minister of engaging in media propaganda.

Ejiofor explained that it was important for media to witness the proceedings to avoid false narrative being spread.

The Federal Government had blamed Kanu for the murder of Dr Chike Akunyili, the husband of a former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the late Prof Dora Akunyili.

The government further accused him of being responsible for the murder of a former presidential aide, Ahmad Gulak, and over
5000 others in the South-East.

This is according to a committee set up by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to investigate Kanu, who is standing trial for treasonable felony.

The 24-member comprised members from the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Information, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department State Services, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The committee, headed by Malami, said consequent upon the instigating directives of Kanu, members of IPOB and the Eastern Security Network carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions, especially facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission to hamper democratic process in Nigeria.

[b]But Ejiofor said the legal team had responded to some of the allegations in their preliminary objection to FG’s amended charges.

He posted, “Henceforth, No Hearing will be conducted in our Client’s case without media present, we shall insist, come 10th November 2021.
Deleted: We are very much prepared and ready, waiting. IT SHALL ALL END IN COURT.

“After a robust outing of 21st October, and strong objection raised to the empty charge, the narratives changed.
Note that the media has been awashed with this false narrative right from the very first day our client was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria, even before the amended seven charges were filed twice.

“Their seven counts were amended twice upon being served with our Preliminary Objection. Remember that the facts they substantially relied upon in their purported amended charge, dwelt much on this speculation as you saw in their press statement.

“In all, I implore you all to remain calm, peaceful and focused, your eyes should always be on the ball, because we will demystify them only in law court. They cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand, it must fail woefully!”