By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha; Nicholas Kalu, Abuja
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said yesterday that it had uncovered a plot to kill the lead lawyers of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group, which gave the names of the lawyers as Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Aloy Ejimakor, accused the Nigerian government of being responsible for the plan.
In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the plan extended to the elimination of several state coordinators.
It noted that the only crime of the lawyers was their commitment to their profession, as lawyers, insisting that the Nigerian government should be held responsible should anything happen to the lawyers and others on the list.
The statement reads in part: “We wish to put the whole world on notice about the wicked plot by the frustrated Government of Nigeria to secretly eliminate our resilient lawyers, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, over their committed efforts in the defence of our leader who was renditioned from Kenya.
“The Nigerian Government is not happy with the expertise and professional prowess of these veteran lawyers and other members of the legal team to deflate the fabricated charges against our leader, hence their plot to eliminate them.
“The intelligence report at our disposal also indicates that this covert plan extends to the elimination of Mazi Benjamin Madubugwu, Bright Chimezie Ishinwa, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, David Nwawuisi as well as several state coordinators are in their elimination list handed down by the Nigerian government to its Security agencies.
“The Nigerian government intends to carry out this targeted elimination through the security personnel deployed in South-East under the guise of Operation Golden Dawn to do the dirty job.
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“The compromised security agents have decided to eliminate Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers once they step into any part of South-East.
“We want to place it on record that these lawyers have committed (no crime) but simply carrying out their profession as lawyers. The world should hold Nigeria Government responsible should anything happen to our lawyers and any of those listed above.
“This will not be the first time such evil plot would be hatched against them as Ejiofor has severally escaped assassination attempt on his life by this same Nigerian security operatives evidence of which are in the public domain. His attackers have twice set his home on fire after killing so many people in his house.
“The world must take note and pay attention to the atrocities being committed in Biafraland by the Nigerian government.”
The statement added: “South East remains our ancestral home and we cannot run away because we committed no sacrilege in our land. Anybody planning to kill us will be battling with the spirit of our ancestors and the spirit that own Biafraland.
“Those detained with our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in 2017 from Abuja prison must be very careful, at alert and conscious of their environment and movement now because Nigeria government is planning to eliminate them and other innocent Biafran youths for just no cause.
“IPOB is bringing the evil plot of the Nigerian government to the attention of the international community.”
‘DSS denied British Consul, Ezeife access to Kanu’
In a related development, the lead Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) denied the British Consul as well as former Anambra State governor, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, access to his client.
This, Ejiofor said, was in violation of a subsisting court order. In a statement posted on his Facebook wall, he said the order expanded the number of persons that could visit Kanu on any of the designated days scheduled for his routine visit.
He said the court further clarified that the persons to visit their client were no longer restricted to his lawyers and family members but any other person of his choice.
The post reads: “Today’s routine visit to our indefatigable Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu could not hold because the detaining authority (DSS) deliberately denied the above named persons access to Our Client.
“Recall that the Honorable Court in charge of this case had on the 21st Day of October, 2021 expanded the number of persons that could visit Our Client on any of the designated days scheduled for his routine visit.
“The Honorable Court proceeded to Order in His Ruling that henceforth, three persons of our Client’s choice should be allowed to visit him.
“His Lordship further clarified that the persons to visit Our Client are no longer restricted to his lawyers and family members but, ANY OTHER PERSON of Our Client’s choice.
“In line with this Order of Court, we forwarded the list of names scheduled to visit Our Client on Monday, 25th October, 2021, which included Attorney Bruce Fein – our Client’s International Attorney and Legal Representative in the United States of America.
“Attorney Fein arrived Nigeria from the United States of America to witness the Court proceedings of the 21st Day of October, 2021, and also utilise the opportunity of the visit to interface with his Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Unknown to us, a rude shock awaited us at the DSS. Upon arrival at the DSS Headquarters on Monday, 25th October, 2021, for the scheduled routine visit, the detaining authority did not stop at keeping us waiting for well over two hours, but thereafter specifically told us that no foreigner, including Bruce Fein, would be allowed to visit Our Client, and as such, he would not participate in the visit.
“The renowned International Constitutional Human Rights lawyer was not only disappointed with the Authority concerned, but was shocked at the brazen manner in which the Nigerian Court Orders are flouted with impunity by those whose primary mandate is to protect and preserve these Laws and maintain Order.
“Attorney Bruce Fein consequently left the premises of the DSS visibly broken. Apparently, he has gathered enough to feed the International Community upon his return to the United States.
“Today was the turn of the British Consul to experience what the civilised society may refer to as the height of abnormality in the system. The innocent woman who flew all the way from Lagos on this special diplomatic engagement was denied access to Our Client, and told that she is not welcomed for the visit because she’s a foreigner.
“His Excellency, Dr. CHUKWUEMEKA EZEIFE who was denied access to the Court room at the last Court sitting was also denied access to our Client today without offering any reason(s). Height of impunity indeed!
“It is important to point out here that the Order of Court with regard to the number of persons and class of persons allowed to visit our Client, NEVER RESTRICTED THEM TO NIGERIANS ONLY.
“It is more so that this clarification was made by His Lordship, following our specific complaint to the Court that Attorney Bruce Fein was not only denied access to our Client on two occasions at the DSS Headquarters, but was not allowed inside the court room on 21st October, 2021.
“If His Lordship’s intention was to restrict foreigners from visiting our Client, the Court would have simply made it clear while responding to our application for clarification.
“Though we have promptly filed another application for the transfer of Our Client to the correctional centre predicated on entirely new set of facts, it is now crystal clear to the World that if the DSS is allowed to remain the custodian of our Client, there shall certainly be gross denial of fair hearing and fair trial in these proceedings.
“We will equally be initiating contempt proceeding against the Head of the DSS for this gross violation of Court Order. Order of the Court must be obeyed regardless of the status of the person(s) involved or the Agency affected by the Order.
“Even though the DSS has a history of flouting Court Orders with impunity, we will pursue for the Court to step in, in this case and protect the sanctity of its Order(s). Enough is enough!
“We shall leave no stone unturned in ensuring that this weighty infraction of the positive Order of Court and by extension, gross violation of our Client’s right is addressed without further ado.
“We still appeal to our Client’s millions of followers to remain calm as we explore all legal remedies available to our Client in the circumstance of this breach.
“Your prayers and supplications should be intensified in times like this, and please do not lose focus UmuChineke because the enemies are really at work. But be assured that it will all end in Praises. Thank you all and remain hugely blessed UmuChineke.”
Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, did not respond to an enquiry on the matter at the time of filing this report.