Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has not been seen by family and lawyers against the order of court to receive visitors twice a week
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
For more than a week now, family and lawyers to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have not seen him despite court ruling that allows him visitors twice a week.
With reports that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has not been a good health, IPOB warns the Nigerian government that nothing must happen to the agitator in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
A statement by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, says the refusal of the DSS to allow Kanu’s family and lawyers’ access to him signals something ominous.
The group warned expressly that if anything befell Kanu in DSS custody, the Nigerian government would be held responsible.
IPOB said: “The attention of the global movement has been drawn to the refusal by the DSS in Abuja to allow family members and lawyer to our leader during the routine visitation in DSS custody on Monday. We also recall that the DSS did not also allow family members and lawyer access to our leader last week Thursday when they went to see him.
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“We are therefore, putting the world on notice that if anything untoward happens to our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Nigeria government and its security agencies should be held responsible for the bitter consequences of such avoidable scenario. By then they will understand that our peaceful disposition is never a sign of weakness.
“Our legal team visited DSS Abuja on Thursday last week but the DSS refused to allow them to see our leader. On Monday, the DSS denied them access to our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“For now we are not sure of his state of health or if he is still alive at all. DSS should open up and tell the world why they are shielding our leader from the family and lawyers. Have they eliminated Mazi Nnamdi Kanu?
“We are informing the international community and all diplomatic missions in Abuja to be aware of the provocative actions of DSS. Nobody should blame IPOB for anything because the Nigerian government and its security agencies have pushed us to the wall enough. DSS must know that if anything happens to our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, the consequences will be catastrophic.
“Nigerian government and DSS Director should also know that Nnamdi Kanu is prisoner of conscience and should not be tampered with anyhow and there is no option for them than to release him unconditionally or they bear the consequences of keeping him in their custody for so long in Abuja.”
Justice Binta Nyako, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja had said Nnamdi Kanu should be allowed to meet his lawyers and family members twice a week – Mondays and Thursdays.
However, Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu said he was at the Abuja headquarters of the DSS where the IPOB leader was currently detained but was not allowed to see him.
