Nnamdi Kanu Has No Access To Beverages, Soap - Lawyer Claims

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has made a new claim.

He said the IPOB leader is in worsening health condition as the Department of State Services allegedly continues to play pranks with his needs in solitary confinement.

He also claimed that when Kanu requested for beverages and soap, he was informed that the approval of the DSS’ Director of Operations needed to be obtained before it could be provided for him, adding that the items were yet to be provided for him.

According to him, by obeying an interim ruling of the Supreme Court on the naira policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria but disobeying valid orders that Kanu should be released from detention, it was obvious that some persons were considered less entitled to justice in Nigeria.

Ejiofor stated these in a statement issued after the visit to Kanu in the custody of the DSS in Abuja.

He said the IPOB leader was briefed on the status of all pending legal actions instituted on his behalf, as well as those involving him across all courts in Nigeria.

Ejiofor said, “It is to be noted that the Federal Government was quick to comply with the interim decision of the Supreme Court concerning the CBN monetary policy, while the same government has blatantly refused to obey judgements of its own courts of competent jurisdiction, particularly the judgment of the Appeal Court which discharged Onyendu and prohibited his further detention and trial; and the judgment of the Federal High Court Umuahia which ordered for the unconditional release of Kanu. This clearly supports the notion that some are considered less entitled to justice in the Nigerian society.

“It is disheartening to note that there is no remarkable improvement in Kanu’s health condition. Kanu complained that the DSS remained adamant and refused to adhere to the medical opinion of their own doctor, who stressed that Kanu needed to undergo an urgent ear surgery to salvage whatever was left of his left ear, which was badly impaired on account of the torture he received in the hands of his abductors in Kenya.”

“Kanu informed us and directed that we should make public, that the DSS officials would usually give him a piece of paper to write out what he needed. However, after writing the list, they would inform him that they cannot afford to provide him with those items. They would then go away with the paper, falsely claiming that the contents of the paper were the things they had provided to him,” the lawyer claimed.

He said Kanu lamented that over a month ago, he wrote out the beverages and other items, including soap, that he needed, and he was informed that the approval of the Director of Operations needed to be obtained before it could be provided for him, saying, “Unfortunately, the said items are yet to be provided.”

The PUNCH reports that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had, on Thursday, October 13, 2022, freed and discharged Kanu, declaring as illegal and unlawful, his abduction from Kenya to Nigeria and quashed the entire terrorism charges brought against him by the FG.

The appellate court held that the Federal Government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria thereby making the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in a swift reaction to the discharge of Kanu had said Kanu was only discharged but not acquitted.

Sequel to this, the Federal Government went on to appeal the Court of Appeal’s judgement freeing Kanu and discharging him of all offences, seeking a stay of execution.

The appellate court, after hearing the FG’s fresh suit, granted a stay of execution of the discharging of Kanu, a ruling which the IPOB legal team had since appealed before the Supreme Court.

As of the time of filing this report, the leader of the proscribed IPOB had yet to be released from detention.