Author: Editor

By Niran Ajao Third, the manner by which evidence from Mr. Kanu was collected is not likely to pass the Wong Sun’s “fruit of a poisonous tree” test because Mr. Kanu was kidnapped from Kenya without lawful process. Notably, the trial Judge cites United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. 655 (1992) to justify the extraordinary rendition. But the Judge fails to provide the reasoning for the holding in that case. The holding was premised on the fact that the text of the treaty between Mexico and the United States, which was at issue in that case, did not expressly forbid…

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu “I had discovered since my appointment as a High Court judge that most of the politicians in Nigeria and, indeed, in other developing countries only pay lip-service to the independence of the judiciary…. It pays in the end for a judge, even at the risk of being a snob or of haughtiness, to be somewhat aloof, not only from members of the Executive, but also from political power-brokers.” – Atanda Fatayi Williams, Faces, Cases and Places, pp. 77-78 (1983) Atanda Fatayi Williams, the fourth Chief Justice of post-colonial Nigeria (CJN), has not always received the kind of…

…Bishop Opoko, Igbo youths kick  Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The decision of the Federal Government to relocate the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to Sokoto Prison following his conviction on all seven counts of terrorism by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, has triggered widespread outrage across Abia State and among pro-Igbo groups. Many residents believe Kanu did not receive fair trial, while his transfer to Sokoto—an area plagued by heightened insecurity—has further inflamed public anger. Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Dr. Raphael Opoko, urged the Federal Government…

…Calls for dialogue, not detention Our Reporter, Abuja  Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the conviction of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warning that the development could heighten tension across the country. Obi, in a statement on Saturday, said Kanu’s arrest, detention and eventual conviction reflected a “failure of leadership,” insisting that the Federal Government mishandled the matter from the outset. He argued that Kanu should never have been arrested, stressing that the issues he raised were solvable and required dialogue, empathy and inclusive governance…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Alex Otti has reacted to the life imprisonment handed down to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. In a statement personally signed by him, Otti said he had already activated a political solution aimed at securing Kanu’s release. “While Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is free to appeal his conviction, I’m happy to inform you that I have activated, and will continue to work on, the already agreed strategy until his freedom is secured,” he said. The Governor disclosed that he had…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia  Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said that the conviction and sentencing of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, did not come to him as a surprise. Abaribe, in a statement issued Thursday in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, described the life sentence handed down to Kanu as “a preconceived plot” long anticipated by the Igbo nation and other well-meaning Nigerians. He recalled that the refusal of the Federal Government to extend amnesty to Kanu—an appeal made at the time in line with similar concessions granted to…

By Vitus Ozoke Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment, and the country is reeling with outrage. Many Nigerians – east of the Niger and beyond – believe this was a gross miscarriage of justice, pointing to procedural flaws, substantive issues, and political motives. They are correct, but perhaps not in the way they think. The problem with Omotosho’s judgment is not just that it was unjust; it is that it was predictably unjust. So, although these critiques have some validity, a purely doctrinal or procedural view of justice might…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia A civic group, Abia Patriots, has cautioned chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State against what it described as a “destructive approach to opposition politics.” The group, led by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Legal Matters, Monday Ubani, SAN, expressed displeasure over the combative posture of some APC leaders — particularly the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and former Commissioner for Finance, Obinna Oriaku — toward the state government. Abia Patriots, a non-partisan body committed to promoting good governance and accountability, warned that opposition politics…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised the alarm over his alleged secret transfer to a correctional facility in Sokoto. Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who spoke on Friday, said members of Kanu’s legal team were shocked when they visited the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja—where he had been held—only to be informed that he had been moved to Sokoto. Describing the development as unacceptable, the family expressed deep concerns about Kanu’s safety in Sokoto. Prince Emmanuel alleged that the transfer was part of a…

…Seek presidential pardon Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Traditional rulers from Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, the ancestral home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, insisted that their son is a freedom fighter and not a terrorist contrary to his conviction on terrorism charge by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja. The monarchs in a statement issued on Friday vehemently disagreed with Justice Omotosho. Kanu hails from Isiama Afaraukwu Ibeku community, while his late father, HRM Israel Kanu, was a traditional ruler of his community. The statement was signed…