• Release Kanu, Onwuka, 23 others or…

From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha, Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday ac­cused the presiding Judge, Justice John Tsoho han­dling the case of its leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and two others of being biased and should hands off the case immediately.

The group alleged that Justice Tsoho had insti­tuted a secret trial because according to them the pub­lic was barred from attend­ing the hearing on Tuesday, stressing that only a handful of newsmen were permitted to cover proceedings.

A statement by the Me­dia and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful noted that the judge’s action was against an earlier court ruling that the trial will be held in the open.

“It is worth noting that the same DSS are the ones stopping the public from entering the court room, contrary to the ruling of the same Judge Tsoho.

“How many times will Justice Tsoho turn against his own ruling in his own court? the group asked rhe­torically.

Meanwhile, the Move­ment for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has de­manded the immediate re­lease of Kanu, Benjamin Onwuka of Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) and 23 other pro-Biafran detainees at Awka and Onitsha pris­ons since 2006.

The group demanded the unconditional release, say­ing their continued deten­tion has exposed the incom­petency and biased mind of Nigeria judiciary.

The National Director of Information of MASSOB, Samuel Edeson disclosed this in a statement issued after the pro-Biafra agita­tors’ emergency meeting at MASSOB’s headquarters in Okwe, yesterday.

According to Edeson: “The more Nnamdi Kanu is being detained, the more Nigerians suffer diplo­matic damage and shame. MASSOB will continue to partner with IPOB, lower Niger Congress and Biaf­ran groups in the Diaspora for genuine agitation. “We shall never relent as Nige­ria’s persecution, arrest, detention and killings will never deter us from press­ing for Biafra.”

He noted that the group has concluded plans to at­tend an International Con­ference on the Rights of Indigenous People and self-determination which will hold in a Western European country soon.

MASSOB and the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), have also given the Police in Anambra State seven days ultimatum within which to release the bodies of the 75l members of the organisations alleg­edly killed for using Biafra insignia.

The leadership of the or­ganisations alleged that the police in Anambra State have killed about 75 of their members since the MAS­SOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, launched Bi­afra insignia in Igboland .

They gave the police in the state 7-day ultimatum to handover the corpses to them to enable them give the deceased befitting buri­al.

Briefing newsmen in Onitsha on the consequenc­es of not handing over the corpses to them at the expi­ration of the ultimatum, the Anambra West and Awka North Regional Admin­istrators, Wilfred Aninze and Chukwuma Nwoba respectively, vowed to use all means to recover the corpses. They said, “we are being disturbed by these corpses to accord them be­fitting burial and the police cannot stop us from doing that.”

According to them, those killed include If­eanyi Agbo and Michael Ogba from Ebonyi State, Joseph Okeke from Ezeagu in Enugu State, Godwin Omahi from Ohozala in Ebonyi State and Obeta Nwaeze Nsukka, Enugu State, and their families still pressurise us to produce their corpses for befitting burial to stop their spirits from hovering around and disturbing us.

“That we are a non vio­lent body struggling for a Sovereign State of Biafra does not mean that we are weak, we will no longer take this assault from the Police in Biafra land,” they posited.