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| ECOWAS COMMUNITY COURT |
By Ifeanyi Chijioke
November, 2016
An insider has given the reason behind the lengthy adjournment date given for the final ruling in the case between Nigerian Government and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra. The source who exclusively spoke to Ifeanyi Chijioke said “The establishment is aware of this adjournment and the date was given for a reason which I will tell you. Nobody wants a situation the community will start a cold war with Nigerian Government. They have to get it right and the lengthy adjournment is simply based on that” the source said.
Recall that Nnamdi Kanu had approached the Community Court of Justice to compel Nigeria to respect the order of the court that granted him bail and accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of unlawful detention. He also urged the Court to order Nigeria to pay him a stipulated huge amount of money for rehabilitation and for unjust persecution.
Nnamdi Kanu was arrested for peacefully agitating for the restoration of sovereign State of Biafra; a Nation its sovereignty was taken in 1970 after a genocidal war that claimed over five million innocent lives of Biafrans; Buhari was a major perpetrator of that heinous crime. still nursing the pains that justice has eluded them; the same man that perpetrated the injustice was elected to rule over the people.
Self determination is a right and a legal act by virtue of UN 2007 Convention which gave Indigenous People the avenue to aspire for self rule within the confines of law. Nnamdi Kanu established IPOB; a peaceful, legal and duly registered body that makes up the people of Biafra; upon which self rule is aspired. Nigeria as signatory to the Charter is obliged to respect peaceful and legal self determination as embarked by Nnamdi Kanu.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention for over one year without trial, Nigerian Government is hell bent on subverting justice to indict a man widely acclaimed as a prisoner of conscience. Ruling for open trial and contradicting the same ruling on same litigant and court by same Judge, on frivolous reasons bail-application was denied and many more shenanigans summed up the corrupt practices and illegalities exhibited by Nigerian State.
Buhari had before the world said that no Court in Nigeria would be allowed to release Nnamdi Kanu until he agrees to negotiate or renounce Biafra; a position he has confirmed by flouting court orders that released him on December 16th and 17th respectively by Magistrate and High Court presided over by now maligned Justice Ademola.
“This matter has lingered so much and it is getting due attention; the man in question has been properly assessed and he is peaceful and lawful even in the face of utmost provocation” the source said and continued “Dasuki might be flouted because there is an issue; it is a worrisome development that Nigeria don’t recognize rule of law any longer”
“Nnamdi Kanu is a different matter; there is unprescedented sympathy and there is agitation already on ground; his matter is delicate and it can set a flame that will grow into a wild fire. We are trying to avoid the situation with hope that Nigeria will understand and get rid of the matter. I trust Nigerian Judiciary but with this, I am beginning to shift ground” he noted.
“There would be sanctions and nobody wants this to get dirty and this is why the adjournment is a nice one. We can nip it in the bud; Nigeria can make the call and politically or diplomatically handle this issue. Everything cannot go through this process; over reliance on one approach is boring and everybody is already getting tired. Africa needs each other and this is why we must prevent unwarranted actions. You cannot rightly flout this one and you think everything is normal and you flout another one; this one is tensed already and there is human pressure around the globe” the report said.
The DSS had tried to frustrate the Community Court of Justice by bringing amended charges before it but it was blatantly declined. The Court was visibly annoyed and unsatisfied with the actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria which it accused of not adhering to ‘rule of law’. The Court had been missed by Federal Government; an act that prompted the Community Court to declare that the case will be heard in absentia if they fail to come.
Nigerian Judiciary has been accused of partiality and there is a wide belief that the arm has lost its independence and now being controlled by the executive. This however was further proven by the cases so far brought to the Community Court that its ruling often blames the State and fault the approach or handling of the said case. The source believes that before the adjourned date; there would be no case for the Community Court to address.
“It is expected that before 9th of February; Nigeria must have addressed the matter and there would be no reason to come back here; that is the target and hopefully it would be achieved. The matter is not complicated; it is about giving the system the freelance they need to function positively. Any ruling made by this Court must be pursued because there is an existing pressure; should it lead to sanctions or diplomatic fracture; there would definitely be nothing to lose but I had advice that no State should be against the world”
It is noteworthy to know that African Charter also backed the Rights of Indigenous People to determine for their selves.
Editor/Publisher: Chinwe Korie
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