Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Aloy Ejimakor, on Sunday stated that Nigeria's unity has been weaponised against the Biafra agitator.
Ejimakor argued that this weaponisation occurred because Kanu and IPOB questioned the viability of “one Nigeria.”
Posting on X, Ejimakor pointed out that the concept of one Nigeria was weaponised against the Igbo people in 1967.
He wrote: “In 1967, ‘Nigeria’s unity' was weaponised to the point of levying genocide against the Igbo, and it is presently weaponised against MAZI NNAMDI KANU & #IPOB for daring to question the viability of one Nigeria.”
Kanu is currently detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the orders of the Nigerian government.
The IPOB leader has been in custody since 2021 after his rearrest and extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria.
Since his rearrest, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him of all charges, but the Nigerian government has refused to release him.
He was recently rearraigned before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court after Justice Binta Nyako of the same court showed reluctance to continue handling his case.
This followed Kanu’s challenge for her to withdraw from the matter due to a lack of confidence in her handling of his case.
In response to Kanu's request, Nyako recused herself, but the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court did not accept the motion.
When the trial resumed, Justice Nyako adjourned the case “sin die.”
However, the case was subsequently reassigned, and when proceedings resumed, Kanu's new Lead Counsel, Kanu Agabi, apologised for the IPOB leader’s past outbursts.
