Tension has enveloped the commercial city of Aba, Abia State as the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu resumes today, Thursday 21st, 2021.
On Wednesday night, a gong was sounded in some parts of Aba warning residents to neither open their shops nor come out as that will attract burning of both the shops and building.
Mazi Kanu is expected to appear before Justice Binta Nyako-led Federal High Court sitting in Abuja today if he will be produced by the Department of State Service, DSS, in court as they have failed to do in last court sessions.
Remember that Kanu was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria in July to continue his trial. After his arrest and prosecution in 2017, he was released but jumped bail and left for the United Kingdom.
The Federal Government, however, amended charges levelled against the IPOB leader which includes calling President Muhammadu Buhari, a paedophile and an idiot.
See the list of charges as written by The Nation:
“That you Nnamdi Kanu, male adult of Afaraukwu lbeku Umahia North Local Government Area of Abia State being the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015 in London, United Kingdom, did broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu and other areas within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, preparations made by you and others now at large for states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and the Benue States to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to constitute same into the Republic of Biafra and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
That you referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
That you, between the month of March and April 2015 imported into Nigeria and kept in Ubulusiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court , a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L concealed in a container of used household which you declared as used household items and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 47 (2) of the Criminal Code of Act ,Cap C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
That you, between 2018 and 2021 Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and FCT, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, professed to be a member of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 16 Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
That you, on the 22th of April, 2021 in London, United Kingdom on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act of terrorism in that you incite the other members (followers) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB}, a proscribed organisation in Nigeria, to look for security personnel, their family members through a Radio Biafra on 102.1FM monitored through the IPOB Community Radio and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
That you, on the 16thh of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by making a broadcast that “In 2 weeks’ time, what will happen will shake the world, people will die, the whole world will stand still, mark my word” and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
That you, on the 31st of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by issuing a deadly threat that anyone who flouted your sit-at-home order should “write his/her will,” as a result banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations were not opened for businesses and vehicular movements grounded and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.”
Speaking with Daily Post, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful expressed hope, saying there would be no crisis across the Southeast.
According to Powerful: “IPOB issued an order of sit-at-home on the day Kanu will be in court in Abuja, no other sit-at-home for now and our people will comply in solidarity with our leader and the Biafra struggle.
“They have been doing that for a long time without molestation and force. They are doing it out of love for Nnamdi Kanu and support for the struggle for Biafra freedom and we are not foreseeing any violence anywhere in Biafra land because our people love Biafra and Biafra loves them, unless Nigerian government and security agents device a means to kill our people and tag them IPOB.
“Everybody has seen such acts on the side of Nigeria and because they don’t know what to do to IPOB, they resort to killing innocent Biafran and blame that on IPOB. Before now, you know how Nigeria security agents were killing innocent citizens under the guise that they were killing IPOB members and ESN. There will be no crisis; we believe that.”
