Nnamdi Kanu Speaks From Jail, Fresh Accusation Against Buhari

Nnamdi Kanu

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of forcing the court to convict him for treasonable felony, The Cable reports.
The Biafra leader made this accusation via his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, at a media briefing in Abuja on May 11, Wednesday.
Kanu’s lawyer said Buhari’s “pronouncement” on issues regarding Biafra was prejudicial, and that they were capable of influencing the hands of the court to convict his client.
He quoted the president’s comments in Katsina, where he said that nobody could divide the country, and in his maiden presidential media chat in December, where President Buhari said that the IPOB leader should not be granted bail because he was a flight risk.
The lawyer preached that the president was unintentionally compelling the court to do his bidding.
“Nnamdi Kanu is a political prisoner, and this was confirmed in the presidential media chat,” he said.
“The pronouncements of the president are affecting the decision of the court. We consider the pronouncements prejudicial.
“The president should not be making pronouncements that are indirectly influencing the decision of the judges.”
He added that he had filed a fundamental rights suit against the federal government at the ECOWAS court on the imprisonment of Kanu.
“We went to ECOWAS court because we believe we will be given justice. Only ECOWAS court can give us justice,” the lawyer added.
During a December 2015 media chat, President Buhari said Kanu would not be released amid fears he could jump bail and flee to the UK, as he holds both a British and a Nigerian passport.
The IPOB leader was arrested in October on conspiracy and terrorism charges, which were later dropped when he arrived in Lagos from United Kingdom.