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Nnamdi Kanu never denied IPOB in court, says lawyer
The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, never denied being the leader of the Igbo nationalist organisation while taking his plea at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has said.
According to the lawyer, the clarification became necessary because of what he described as “deliberate misrepresentation/falsehood and wrong narratives being perpetuated by some mischief makers” and gaining prominence in social media.
Ejiofor said this in a statement on Thursday titled, “Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never denied being the leader of IPOB – Let the records be set straight”.
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According to him, it was pertinent to provide clarification and clear the doubt.
He said, “S.M. Labaran Esq, who stood in yesterday (Wednesday) for the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation is a colleague I hold in high esteem, but I shall resist every mischievous ploy being adopted to misinform the unsuspecting members of the public who were not privy to the details of the proceedings in court yesterday, with a wrong and mischievous interpretation of the purport of the plea taken by our indefatigable client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“For the records, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never denied being the leader of IPOB while taking his plea, but only stoutly denied the fact that IPOB is a terrorist organisation and that being its leader is an offence, which position is well informed.
“Members of the public should be well guided that the status of the black market order proscribing IPOB is a subject of Appeal in Appeal Number: Appeal No. CA/A/214/2018, pending before the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
“That being said, it is only laughable that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in their desperate but futile attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, brought a charge bordering on the status of IPOB, a subject matter of a competent Appeal, where issues have been joined with the same FGN.
“Therefore, be properly guided UmuChineke, because we have sufficiently addressed the emptiness of that count an entire charge in our compelling submissions before the Court, now adjourned to be heard on February 16, 2022.
“We do not wish to dwell further on this subject, but be rightly informed that Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never denied being the leader of IPOB while taking his plea yesterday.”
Shuaibu Labaran, counsel to the federal government, had said in an interview that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), denied being a member of the proscribed group.
Kanu was on Wednesday, re-arraigned on a 15-count charge of treasonable felony.
When the charges were read to him, the IPOB leader pleaded not guilty.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the court session, Labaran said, Kanu “vehemently” denied being an IPOB member.
He said: “One of the charges suggesting that the defendant, Nnamdi Kanu is a member of IPOB and he vehemently denied being a member of IPOB.”
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“That is very curious and we urge Nigerians to see us through how we are going to prove all those charges against the defendant in no time to come,” the prosecution counsel said.
Binta Nyako, the judge, fixed February 16 to hear an application by the defendant challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charge against him.
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