REACTIONS have trailed Tuesday’s bail granted the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice Binta Sukai of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Speaking on the bail conditions, the duo of former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, and First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, described the conditions as too stringent.

In their separate reactions shortly after the court sitting, they wondered how the court expected Kanu to meet those conditions.

The bail conditions were that those to stand surety for him would include a senator, a prominent Igbo leader and a Jewish leader, who must deposit N100 million each. Kanu is also expected not to appear where there is a crowd of more than 10 persons.

According to Ikedife, “It is good that they have granted him bail. This is what I have been demanding for a long time.

“The next thing we expect them to do is to dispose of the charges brought against him one way or the other.

“They detained him for a long time and the question is, are they going to compensate him for long incarceration?”

He said that Kanu should have been released a long time ago, adding that those who kept him in detention did so for reasons only they can explain.

Continuing, the former Ohanaeze President General said: “Besides, the bail conditions are stringent. Is Kanu going to get all these people who have been burying money in various places to surety him? Where will he find the three people listed as those to surety him?

“However, the court saying that he should not appear in a crowd is something good because his presence in such a place could lead to violence, which may have undesired effect.”

On his part, Chief Mbazulike Amechi said: “Granting bail to Nnamdi Kanu was long overdue.

“He is a prisoner of conscience and they incarcerated him this long because he is an Igbo man.

“The conditions given him to meet are very unkind. He should have been granted bail unconditionally. And how do they expect him to get people with the kind of money mentioned to surety him?”

On their part, IPOB and its leadership worldwide thanked all the people that pressured the Nigerian Government and her judiciary to release Kanu, who has been in detention since October 2015.

IPOB said: “The bail conditions which are most probably designed by politicians who are afraid of our leader’s popularity is too inhuman, childish and stringent.

“The oppressors are afraid of our leader’s popularity and they hope to cage him through this funny bail condition, we are not excited, we demand the release of our members detained alongside him.

“It is unacceptable to the entire members of IPOB worldwide that the presiding judge Hon. Justice Binta Nyako attached condition towards the release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“The Federal Government and their judiciary through justice Binta Nyako banned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu not to grant press interview, not to sit with more than 10 people or have any gathering.”

The group who spoke through their Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, in Awka however rejected the conditional release of Kanu, saying that it is unacceptable.

POB said: “He committed no crime against humanity or Nigerian state. We wonder why Binta Nyako would prefer to attach conditional release on our leader.

“Again, Justice Binta Nyako refused to grant Mazi Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Mazi Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi bail. These people have been detained with our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu since almost two years.

“We also want them to pressure on Nigerian Government and her judiciary to release other three members who are still in Kuje Prison Abuja.”

IPOB further hailed theUnited Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, American Government, Israeli Government, Russian Government, European Union and others who had prevailed upon the Nigerian Government and her judiciary to grant IPOB leader bail. – News Express

– Apr. 27, 2017 @ 3:50 GMT |