Biafra agitator
For Nnamdi Kanu, the detained director of Radio Biafra, it is still a long walk to freedom as the Department of the State Security (DSS) has secured an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja to detain him for another 90 days.
Although Kanu was produced in court in obedience to an order of the court, DSS asked the Abuja Chief Magistrate Court to hands off his trial on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on terrorism cases. The 90 days extension was granted by the court to enable investigation into allegations of acts of terrorism and financing of terrorism leveled against him by the Federal Government.
The trial Chief Magistrate, had at last sitting, ordered the DSS to produce Kanu in court.
When the case was called, counsel to the DSS, Mr. Moses Idakwo drew the attention of Chief Magistrate Shuaib Usman to the Federal High Court order of Justice Adeniyi Ademola granting further detention of Kanu for another 90 days.
However, Counsel to the accused person, Mr. Vincent Egechukwu Obeta objected vehemently to the order of the court and the application that the Magistrate Court steps down from Kanu’s trial.
He insisted that the bail earlier granted the accused person must be first complied with before any application for transfer of the case to a federal high court can be entertained.
Usman has, however, adjourned ruling on whether to step down from the trial or not till December 1.
The Magistrate Court had last week ordered the Department of the State Security Service (DSSS) to produce the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu unfailingly before the court yesterday to answer criminal charges brought against him by the federal government.
Chief Magistrate Shuaib Usman gave the order following the absence of the accused in court when the trial was to commence.
The DSS had last week refused to bring Kanu to court despite an order made on October 23 to that effect.
Magistrate Usman insisted that no trial can continue in a criminal case in the absence of the accused adding that the only condition that can make a court to excuse the absence of an accused has not come up.
Kanu is standing trial on Criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society and criminal intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B and 397 of the penal code.
The fact of the case, according to DSS report was that the accused formed an unlawful society with the purpose of bringing into being a Republic of Biafra.
He was alleged to have proclaimed himself as the leader of the Republic of Biafra and established a radio of Biafra.
Kanu was also alleged to have appointed himself Commander of the Loyal Forces of Biafra and was broadcasting to the whole world the dire consequences of the government and people of Nigeria will surfer should they attempt hinder the actualization of the Republic of Biafra.
The widow called on Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC) and Governor Willie Obiano to prevail on EEDC to pay the compensation because of death of her husband cause by EEDC cable.
Narrating her ordeal, “my husband was a commercial motorcycle operator and on that fateful day he returned and rode his motorcycle to Okpoko to see her sister and on coming back his friend flagged him down and he carried him in his motorbike. So as both of them were coming to our house they did not know that the EEDC cable that fell on the road was still bearing current and on crossing it both were electrocuted immediately. Since they were electrocuted and buried, EEDC had not asked me about the incident.”
She said that one of her three kids (a twin) had died out of hunger and medication as the family has been struke with hardship since the demise of the bread winner, her husband.
She said “on that fateful day I was in the house at Ezeiweka road, Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area when people rushed to me shouting, your husband has been electrocuted with one man in his motorcycle”.
“As I wanted to rush to the scene they held me and pleaded that I should stay back and I handed everything to God and I stayed back” she said.
“My problem now is that he was the bread winner, I have no business doing and out of hunger and lack of medication I lost one of my three children (a twin) and now have two sons aged, nine and seven years.
“They don’t go to school and the house rent is not being paid because there is no money as I now go cap in hand soliciting for what we shall eat just to keep body and soul together”.
“The funny thing is that the cable has continued to fall and officials of EEDC will only be interested in bringing bills to us. So because they abandon me to my faith I am giving them three weeks ultimatum to pay me N150 million for killing my husband and the trauma I have gone through, failure I will have no other option than to drag EEDC to court to seek justice”, she stated.
In a related development a trader who runs restaurant at the same Ezeiweka road, Mr. Amalckukwu Adito, owner of Nature Hills Garden, has vowed to drag the EEDC to court demanding N10 million compensation and to be paid within three weeks failure which we would sue EEDC.
According to him, “we live in fear here because their cables fall almost weekly from the high tension and severally people have been touched”.
“My restaurant, with the three refrigerators, chairs, gas cooker and all cooking utensils including the building were all razed as the cable on falling down set everything on fire”. As it is now my business has been grounded here and the cables still cut and fall because of overload” he stated.
Onitsha agog for Cardinal Arinze’s episcopal golden jubilee
From Aloysius Attah and Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha
All is now set for the Episcopal golden jubilee celebration of the former Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments at the Vatican City Rome, Francis Cardinal Arinze .
At a world press briefing yesterday, at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke said the cardinal is expected back from Rome, today, while several activities have been lined up for the celebration.
The Archbishop noted that the life of Cardinal Arinze has been remarkable having become an Archbishop at the age of 32 and has served the church both at Onitsha Archdiocese and the Vatican Rome as a Bishop in the past 50 years and Cardinal in the last 30 years.
He disclosed that the celebration will feature various activities like Holy mass, novelty football match, and visit to Onitsha Prison for interface with inmates and distribution of gift items to the poor and needy, among others.
Archbishop Okeke noted that the jubilee celebration is a time of liberation and disclosed that the feast will have both spiritual and social dimensions.
The spiritual dimension he said would involve prayers from ordained priests and committed individuals while the grand finale takes place on November 27 and 28.
He said that all the Cardinals in Nigeria and the Catholic Bishops including top government officials both within and outside Anambra State are expected to grace the occasion.
Biafra agitators storm Abuja
*Over 20, 000 protest in Aba, Onitsha
From: Okey Sampson, Ola Ojeh, Aba, Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Aloysius Attah, and Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha
Pro Biafra agitators on Sunday evening left Aba, Abia State in their numbers for Abuja, to attend the trial of Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
At the last count, over 2,000 pro Biafra protesters took to the streets of Aba in solidarity with Kanu, who appeared in court yesterday
Many of those who travelled said they wanted to go to Abuja to catch a glimpse of Kanu.
Daily Sun learnt that some of the agitators, who travelled to Abuja last week when the matter was adjourned till yesterday, stayed over in Abuja to attend court yesterday.
Also yesterday, over 20,000 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), embarked on another protest march in Aba, where they hoisted Biafra emblems and Kanu’s portraits on billboards and other high-rise structures across the city.
This was in defiance of police order that Biafra flags and emblems should not be hoisted anywhere in the city, after going round last week to remove Biafra flags and emblems mounted at strategic points and high rise structures in Aba.
Yesterday’s protest, which started from the Ariaria axis of the city, took the pro-Biafra agitators through Azikiwe to Ngwa roads, East Street and Ogbor Hill waterside bridge area on Ikot Ekpene Road where they later diverted to the Aba- Owerri Road.
Some of the protesters, decked in Biafra emblem chanted pro-Biafra songs unlike last week’s protest which forced all major markets in the city to be closed. The same scenario played out yesterday when shop owners including call centre operators in the city centre shut down their businesses.
In a related development, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) joined IPOB yesterday to ground the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State demanding Kanu’s release.
The members, numbering over 8,000 youths, marched through Onitsha Bridge Head to Upper Iweka, Owerri Road Obosi through Borromeow Junction to Nkpor Old Road under the watchful eye of the police and other security operatives.
They carried placards with the pictures of Nnamdi Kanu with inspection “release Nnamdi Kanu or we are ready to die.” The peaceful protest march caused a heavy traffic jam and brought vehicular movement to a halt, forcing residents to trek miles to their shops and offices.
Reacting to the protest march, traditional Prime Minister of Ndigbo, Chief Michael Ozua Okoye, said most Igbo leaders who fought and died championing the cause of Nigeria believed in the unity of one Nigeria.
He said the Eze gburugburu, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu did not fight war of secession but war of marginalisation.
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