Declaration of proscription as illegal: We’ve been absolved of illegality, IPOB jubilates
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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has hailed the landmark judgement by Hon. Justice A. Onovo of Enugu State High Court on October 26, 2023, which absolved the group from proscription.
This was contained in a press release issued by the Media Publicity Secretary for IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful.
Comrade Powerful noted with pride that court absolved IPOB of illegal proscription by Nigerian court presided over by Justice Abdul Kafarati.
News Band had reported on October 26, 2023, that a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State declared the proscription of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization unlawful and illegal.
The presiding judge, Justice A.O. Onovo, in the landmark judgement, held that self-determination is not a crime and thus cannot be used as a ground to arrest, detain and prosecute Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
It also ruled that the detention and prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu as a member of the separatist movement is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and ordered the Federal Government and South East governors to pay N8 billion in damages to Mazi Kanu.
Reacting to the judgement, Emma Powerful said that “Justice Onovo demonstrated to the world that there are still judges who are willing to uphold justice even in the face of executive intimidation of the judiciary, particularly on the cases involving IPOB in Nigeria”.
He regretted that most Nigerian judges are intimidated into upholding injustices against IPOB members, thereby breaking both local and international laws.
According to him, IPOB cases have exposed the weakness of Nigeria’s judiciary which has ridiculed Nigeria before the International Community.
He commended IPOB legal teams for their legal astuteness and also being resolute and focused in their legal services.
“IPOB lawyers are men and women who understand the law, not quota system lawyers. They have been defeating the Nigeria government in their own courts.
“That is the reason the Federal Government of Nigeria has been running away from defending the black market proscription order of Justice Abdul Kafarati against IPOB in the Appeal Court.
“Nevertheless, the latest judgment from Justice Onovo of Enugu State High Court has made the wicked black market proscription order null and void.”
He further noted that the recent judgment from the Enugu High Court judge has exonerated IPOB of obnoxious terrorist tag that the Nigeria government wickedly hung on the peaceful movement as a justification for violent suppression.
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He stated: “In the eyes of the law and before the International Community, IPOB is not a terrorist organization.
“Those who jubilated when the black market proscription was leveled against IPOB by the Fulani Government of Nigeria using an ethnic biased Justice Kafarati are now ashamed of themselves, especially those compromised media houses linking and tagging IPOB as a proscribed Organizations.
“Justice A. Onovo of Enugu State High Court on the 26th day of October 2023 upturned the illegal proscription of IPOB imposed by an ethnic bigot government.
“This judgment will be recorded in the history book of remembrance.
“The book shall be read by the unborn generations that one courageous Judge overruled a bigotry judgment against peaceful IPOB who were fighting for the rebirth of Biafra Nation.”
He also emphasized that the then South East Governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership under Chief John Nnia Nwodo, who he said engineered the proscription of IPOB, shall also be captured in that history book.
“The wicked and illegal proscription led to illegal incarceration, extrajudicially killings, and forceful disappearances of many innocent Biafrans by the Nigeria murderous security agents.
“History and Biafrans will never be kind to those behind this devilish act against innocent movement and family seeking for Biafra restoration,” he added. Read more.
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