The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the ruling of Justice James Omotosho, which directed its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to provide explanations on certain issues related to his ongoing terrorism trial.
In a strongly worded statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB maintained that the directive violates Section 36(11) of the Nigerian Constitution, which expressly protects defendants from being compelled to testify against themselves.
The group alleged that the decision further proves that Nigerian courts, particularly in Abuja, have abandoned their constitutional responsibility to dispense justice and are now operating as extensions of the Presidency and its allies.
“This remark by Justice Omotosho lays bare the sad reality in Abuja courts—that their primary duty is not to uphold the law but to gratify the interests of the federal government and its power brokers, especially those who are determined to keep Mazi Nnamdi Kanu behind bars,” IPOB stated.
According to the pro-Biafra group, the ruling amounts to persecution rather than prosecution. “By insisting that our leader ‘explain certain things,’ the judge is not enforcing the law; he is facilitating political victimization,” the statement read.
The group posed a series of questions to the judiciary: “Explain what exactly? Is Justice Omotosho unaware that Section 36(11) of the Constitution prohibits compelling a defendant to incriminate himself?
“Does he not understand that in every criminal matter, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, not the accused?
“Is the judge attempting to make Kanu plug the loopholes in a case riddled with contradictory witness statements, absent investigative reports, and charges based on a repealed law?”
IPOB reiterated its stance that Kanu’s trial is politically motivated and urged the judiciary to end what it described as “a charade designed to shift the weight of proof onto an innocent man whose only offense is championing the cause of self-determination for his people.”
The group further emphasized its commitment to justice and global human rights standards, declaring: “IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remain firmly anchored in truth and international law.”
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