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Buhari Government Disobeys Court Order By Labelling Our Group Proscribed – IPOB

September 21, 2021

The group reiterated that Justice Binta Nyako on March 2, 2017, had ruled that it should not be labelled as an outlawed group, therefore criticising the Nigerian government for remaining in impunity.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s government for not respecting court orders that ruled in its favour that, “IPOB is not an unlawful organisation.”

The group reiterated that Justice Binta Nyako on March 2, 2017, had ruled that it should not be labelled as an outlawed group, therefore criticising the Nigerian government for remaining in impunity. 

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It, however, expressed confidence that the group would soon get justice at the International Criminal Court where it had dragged the Buhari-led government to, while urging its members to remain calm at the brink of freedom.

The group made these known in a statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday.

The statement read, “Notwithstanding the malicious propaganda and blackmail from agents of darkness, IPOB is not only a peaceful movement but a lawful organisation as well. Nigeria has a history of impunity when it comes to adherence to court orders and judgments issued by courts of competent jurisdiction, so we are not surprised that the Nigeria establishment in collaboration with purveyors of falsehood have continued to thread the same part of shamelessly dishing out lies and propaganda against us despite a ruling by her own court that IPOB is not unlawful.

“History they say is the best teacher and we, therefore, want to remind our oppressors that a Federal High Court, in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, had on March 2, 2017, ruled that "IPOB is not an unlawful organization.” The court which struck out six of the 11-count criminal charge the Federal Government preferred against our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and three other pro-Biafra agitators, declared that IPOB was not unlawful. 

“In the landmark ruling, the court said that the fact that IPOB was not an organisation registered in Nigeria did not make it an illegal society. In her words, the Honourable Justice ruled thus, “It may be true that IPOB is not registered in Nigeria, but does that make it an illegal organisation?” the judge queried.

“Justice Nyako held that the Federal Government failed to prove that IPOB, allegedly managed by Kanu and his co-defendants — Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, is an unlawful society. So, if the federal government could not prove that IPOB is a terrorist organisation before its own court, is it then before the ICC (International Criminal Court) that it can prove the contrary?

“The Nigeria Government already knows that we are prepared for it at the International Criminal Court, ICC. Just very soon we shall meet there! The whole world is also aware of all the atrocities of the Nigeria Government through the instrumentality of its terrorist security agencies against the innocent and non-violent people of Biafra. Very soon we shall get the justice that we have been asking for. Biafra shall be actualised in our lifetime.”

Topics
Legal Politics