IPOB Kicks Against Kanu’s Trial, Says Charges Rest On Repealed Law

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday dismissed what it described as “ignorant and compromised commentaries” on the ongoing trial of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group insisted that Kanu is being tried under a law that no longer exists.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB argued that the terrorism charges against its leader are “null and void” because they were framed under the repealed Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013.

“The Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013 was repealed by the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022. Any charge sustained on the basis of the repealed law is dead on arrival,” Powerful said.

He described the ongoing trial as a “fundamental legal defect,” stressing that no judicial interpretation could cure it.

According to him, “a judgment given per incuriam cannot revive a dead statute. Nigeria’s judiciary, especially in Abuja, has become a circus where judges attempt to manufacture jurisdiction over void charges.”

The group also expressed concern about Kanu’s health, alleging that he is suffering from multiple organ distress.

“If nothing was wrong with him, why has his blood been drawn more than 50 times? Why was his sample flown to South Africa for specialized analysis?” IPOB queried.

It maintained that the proceedings against Kanu are politically motivated and have exposed what it described as “judicial compromise” in Nigeria.

“Those hoping that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu can be convicted under a repealed law backed by an ex parte civil order are wasting their time. This case is already opening the eyes of millions to the perversions in Nigerian courts,” the statement added.

IPOB further warned that the international community is closely monitoring the case and that history would judge how Kanu was treated while in custody.

“The world is watching, and history will record that Nnamdi Kanu was persecuted with a repealed law while gravely ill in DSS custody. Nigeria’s judiciary, and those who defend its absurdities, will forever remain a global joke,” the group said.