- Safiu Kehinde
An Abuja magistrate court sitting on Tuesday has ordered the remand of Aloy Ejimakor, one of the defense counsels of the proscribed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and 12 others over protest.
NPO Reported that the group were arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest organised by human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday against the IPOB leader’s continued trial and detention.
In the wake of their arrest, the FCT Police Command charged the 13 persons with various offences, including criminal conspiracy, disobedience of a lawful order, inciting disturbance, and disturbance of public peace, in contravention of Sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law.
The defendants named in two separate first information reports (FIRs) include Ejimakor, Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel; Joshua Emmanuel; Wilson Anyalewechi; Okere Nnamdi; and Clinton Chimeneze.
Others include Gabriel Joshua; Isiaka Husseini; Onyekachi Ferdinand; Amadi Prince; Edison Ojisom; Godwill Obioma; and Chima Onuchukwu.
The magistrate ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending their arraignment on the 24th of October.
Meanwhile, Ejimakor’s appearance at the protest ground had sparked mixed reactions including from the Presidency.
NPO Reported that the Presidency had in the wake of the protest called for legal authorities’ sanction of the lawyer.
As contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused Ejimakor of resorting to extra-legal tactics rather than focusing on how to prepare a strong case in defense of Kanu following the conclusion of the prosecution’s case against the IPOB leader.
Meanwhile, despite Eijmakor’s remand in prison, Kanu had on Tuesday proceeded to defend himself.
Kanu, in a fresh motion he personally signed and filed before Justice Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, assured that he was ready to begin his defence as ordered by the court.
He however presented a list of 23 witnesses in his defence.
The list, divided into two categories, saw Kanu name Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as his witness.
Other notable names on the list included former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd); and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo.
Also mentioned are Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; the immediate-past Governor of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu; the immediate-past Director General (DG), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; former DG of the State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi, and several witnesses whose identities he didn’t reveal.