One of the representatives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at the trial, Lagos based lawyer and former President of Aka Ikenga, a pan Igbo think tank, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, who spoke on the reason why DSS failed to produce Kanu in interviews said the excuse, which translates to the agency saying they did not have a vehicle to transport Kanu to court did not make sense, was questionable, laughable and, indeed, untenable, pointing out that the Igbo delegates to the trial were unhappy that they did not see Mazi Kanu in court.Nigeria’s secret Police, the Directorate of State Services (DSS) is said to have claimed that logistics challenges stopped it from producing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in court Monday, July 26, 2021 for trial.
Uwazuruike noted that even Kanu’s lawyer complained that he had not been able to see the self determination activist in the past 10 days, insisting that it was important to see him to be sure that he is still alive.
Stressing that the Igbo nation will stand firm to see that justice is done in the Nnamdi Kanu matter, he spoke an Igbo proverb to the effect that “when you kill a mad man you will know that he has relatives.”
Chief Uwazuruike noted that Mazi Kanu was being treated as a criminal contrary to law which considers him innocent till proved guilty, stressing that Ohanaeze insists that the truth of the entire saga, including the circumstances of his return to Nigeria, must come to light.
He said further that the Kanu case is an international matter and that it is being monitored all around the world, insisting that, indeed, it is the Nigerian judiciary that is on trial, strssing that justice must not only be done, but seen to have been done.
The court premises witnessed some tense moments as some lawyers were seen locked out of the chambers by the DSS. The barred lawyers were seen in videos exchanging angry words with the security officials.
Many journalists were also not granted accreditation to cover the trial that was adjourned due to the non-production of Mazi Kanu.
There had been videos of Igbo youths in several buses waving IPOB flags and believed to have been heading to Abuja to observe the proceedings. At the premises of the court, some youths gathered and video clips showed a Police officer ordering them out of the vicinity and actually chasing some of them around and drawing a gun.
There are, as yet, unconfirmed reports of arrests. The trial has, meanwhile, been adjourned to October 21, 2021 with the Judge ordering that Kanu must be produced on the adjourned date.
Former Governor of Anambra state, elder statesman and social activist, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife was the leader of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo delegation to the session. Igbo lawyers in Abuja were also on hand to witness the proceedings.
