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  • Wait First: Is Peter Obi Using Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer?

    On May 8, 2023, a Twitter user with the handle @GoziconC claimed that the lawyers defending Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the secessionist group the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) now in custody, are the same as those of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the ongoing presidential tribunal proceedings. 

    The user followed up his claim with a photo of Obi in conversation with some lawyers in court. As of the time of writing, the tweet has been viewed over 412k times. 

    A self-acclaimed leader of the IPOB, Simon Ekpa, also tweeted on May 9, 2023, that Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who is Nnamdi Kanu’s counsel and appears in the photo above, is part of Obi’s legal team.

    On Wait First, we divide claims into three categories. A valid claim is a fresh banana. A false claim is burnt dodo. And a misleading claim is cold zobo.

    So, how valid is this claim?

    ALSO READ: Who’s This Simon Ekpa Guy Running IPOB?

    Verification

    Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) examined this claim. Here’s what they found:

    In January 2022, following his apprehension by the Nigerian government, Nnamdi Kanu appointed Mike Ozekhome as his lead counsel in his case against the FG. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, one of Kanu’s lawyers, also confirmed this.

    Is Mike Ozekhome representing Peter Obi at the Election Tribunal? 

    “The election petition prepared by Obi’s legal team includes a list of the legal practitioners representing the petitioner. Mike Ozekhome’s name does not appear on the list.

    “We, however, found Ozekhome to be among the legal team of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was inaugurated in March 2023. The team included his name in the petition that was submitted.

    “Further investigation revealed that Ozekhome and Atiku have had a clientele relationship since 2017. He is also currently representing the latter in the alleged money laundering case filed by Festus Keyamo. 

    “Another senior lawyer in the attached image to the tweet is Yusuf Ali, a member of Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s legal team. We found that the lead counsel to Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP), Onyechi Ikpeazu, has never represented Nnamdi Kanu or the IPOB secessionist group.”

    Verdict

    The claim that lawyers representing Peter Obi at the presidential election tribunal also represent Nnamdi Kanu is burnt dodo. It’s false.

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    Stephen Agwaibor

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  • Who’s This Simon Ekpa Guy Running IPOB?

    If you’re up to date with the news, you may have heard about increased unrest in the South-East region blamed on the secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group’s leader is Nnamdi Kanu who’s still in the custody of the federal government in spite of a court order demanding his release. 

    While Kanu remains imprisoned, a self-acclaimed disciple of his, Simon Ekpa, has taken centre stage. If you’ve been on Twitter and Facebook long enough, you’ve likely seen his name pop up. So, who’s Simon Ekpa?

    From running for Nigeria to fighting against Nigeria

    Simon Ekpa was born on March 21, 1985 and the first thing that stands out about him is he once represented Nigeria as an athlete. In fact, he was a silver medallist at the 2003 African U-20 Championships.

    However, Ekpa has gone from flying the Nigerian flag to pushing for the disintegration of the country. When he  was nominated for an award by the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) in 2021, he publicly rejected it. 

    He said, “I’m not interested in anything that’ll move Nigeria forward because Nigeria is not structured nor created to move forward, so anybody trying to move Nigeria forward is already a failure.”

    Publicly available records show Ekpa is a native of Ebonyi State but is now based in Finland. He describes himself on his Twitter account as “a human rights activist, CEO, senior legal advisor at Ekpa & Co Oy, legal researcher, author, analyst, Finnish politician, Biafra Spokesperson.” 

    The last bit is only partly true. In July 2021, Ekpa was named as a director for Radio Biafra following the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu. This was what shot him to the IPOB limelight. Yet, IPOB sacked him from the role that same month for refusing to sign the code of conduct governing the operation of the broadcasting station.

    What’s Simon Ekpa currently up to?

    Ekpa has been very vocal in his support for the realisation of Biafra. His voice has grown even louder with the 2023 elections looming on the horizon. 

    He’s also been at the forefront of the sit-at-home orders which have had very serious socio-economic consequences in the South-East. On December 12, 2022, the Igbo group, Ohanaeze, called for his arrest over the destruction and killings in the region. The IPOB have also distanced themselves from Ekpa but that hasn’t deterred him from going about his activities.

    Online, various groups have petitioned the Finnish government to arrest him for his provocative statements believed to be fueling instability in the region. This hasn’t escaped Ekpa’s notice and he’s mocked those efforts.

    How has the government responded?

    Curiously, the Nigerian government hasn’t looked much in Ekpa’s direction. Maybe because they already have the real IPOB ringleader in custody, or because they see Ekpa as merely a noisemaker. There are other sinister reasons that have been suggested that have to do with the coming elections. 

    Whether the government will step up on this matter remains to be seen. However, there’s little doubt that if allowed to continue, the disruption posed by Simon Ekpa might have some impact on voter turnout in the South-East next year.

    Stephen Agwaibor

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  • Here’s Why Nnamdi Kanu Is Still in Prison Despite Release Order

    Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has a cat and mouse history with the Nigerian government. 

    The British-Nigerian activist gained prominence when he launched Radio Biafra in the United Kingdom with which he spread his agenda calling for the breakaway of Biafra from Nigeria.

    Nnamdi Kanu [Image source: Punch]

    Kanu was first arrested in Lagos in October 2015. He was detained for over a year and a half despite court orders demanding his release. In April 2017, he was released on bail on health grounds. 

    However, he skipped bail and went abroad. He also went against another of the terms set for bail by granting interviews to champion the IPOB movement.

    Road to his recent arrest 

    In June 2021, Kanu was rearrested and brought to Nigeria to face trial on treason charges. The Attorney-General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, gave no details as to where he was arrested, except to say that it was the collaborative effort of Nigerian intelligence and security services.

    Abubakar Malami [Image source: Vanguard]

    In April 2022, eight out of 15 charges brought against him were struck out by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The federal government in May 2022, amended the charges against Kanu and listed his lawyers as accomplices. 

    In July 2022, a group backed by the United Nations called for the release of Kanu from detention. Almost immediately, a northern coalition of 52 groups rejected the call for Kanu’s release, underscoring the highly sensitive and political nature of the matter.

    Recently, on October 14, 2022, an appeal court sitting in Abuja freed Kanu of all terrorism charges. It also ordered his release and the payment of compensation of up to ₦500 million. The court noted that the federal government violated all known laws when it forcefully extradited Kanu. The extradition was done from Kenya to Nigeria for the continuation of his trial.

    Why is Kanu still in custody? 

    The government said it would not release Kanu despite the court ruling. It said instead, it would review its legal options and could institute other charges against him. He remains in the custody  of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Malami, the Attorney General, said that although the basis upon which Kanu was freed was based on rendition — that is, the process of sending a suspected criminal to another country for interrogation — it was not, in his opinion, sufficient enough. He provided four reasons why the government couldn’t release him.

    In his words, “In arriving at a decision whether to release or not release (Kanu), one; you look at the rule of law, two; you look at the public and the national interest, three; you look at the security situation, four; you look at international diplomacy.”

    He argued that Kanu had jumped bail before and could not be trusted to not do so again. Malami also argued that his history suggests that he could incite people again after his release. He feared that he could use his influence to launch a foreign attack against Nigeria.

    This is not the first time this is happening. In 2017 for instance, despite a court ruling ordering the release of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, the Nigerian government  refused to do so, stating that the continued detention was in the “security and public interest.”

    Ibrahim El-Zakzaky [Image source: Guardian]

    Where does this leave Nnamdi Kanu? 

    His legal team has pleaded with the DSS to grant him access to a physician, following a court order. 

    It remains to be seen if they would comply.

    ALSO READ: What Nnamdi Kanu’s Freedom Means for Nigerians

    Stephen Agwaibor

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  • What Nnamdi Kanu’s Freedom Means for Nigerians

    To his support base, Nnamdi Kanu is the saviour of the Igbo people from the clutches of the Nigerian government. To the Nigerian Government, he’s a terrorist and a threat to democracy. But for the rest of Nigeria, Nnamdi Kanu is simply the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a sect prominent in championing the secession of the southeast region from Nigeria to create its own independent state called Biafra.

    Image Source: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters

    Kanu’s first arrest

    In October 2015, the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Kanu in Lagos after arriving from the United Kingdom. The government later charged him to court on charges of terrorism and felony. In April 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail on “medical grounds”, but jumped bail months later after a Nigerian Army raid on his home, and he wasn’t seen in public for over a year.

    In June 2021, the Nigerian government announced that Nnamdi Kanu was miraculously back in custody in Nigeria.

    The government refused to disclose how Kanu was arrested and back in the detention of his buddies at the DSS. But he claimed he was illegally arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria without due process. 

    From that point onwards, it’s been nothing but a seemingly unending court case,  accusations of inhuman treatment and counter-accusations between Kanu and the Federal Government. Imagine being forced to wear the same outfit, without any washing, for five months. 

    Kanu’s imprisonment heightened unrest in the southeast, especially with a controversial sit-at-home order implemented on Mondays across the region. The curfew has been blamed for the increase in criminal activities and violence in the region. 

    Image Source: Daily Post Nigeria

    A bittersweet release 

    On October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ruled Kanu’s arrest and extradition illegal and dropped all terrorism charges against him.

    You can only imagine how Kanu must have felt as he heard the verdict. 

    But, don’t rejoice yet. He has still not been released from DSS custody. Why?

    Well, it’s due to the Federal Government, again. This time, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, declared that Kanu was only discharged but not acquitted. He added that there were other issues predating Kanu’s rendition “on the basis of which Kanu jumped bail” which remained “valid issues for judicial determination.”

    In other words, the FG is pissed at Kanu’s jumping bail five years ago and wants to show him shege. 

    What are the people saying?

    Well, we have seen a number of mixed reactions to Kanu’s release. His supporters in the southeast region are happy, as this means no more sit-at-home orders from IPOB and getting back to their normal lives. 

    But there are still fears of IPOB lashing out if the Federal Government detains him further. After all, the current Buhari-led government is known for disobeying court orders. 

    There are also fears about Kanu’s potential influence on the 2023 elections and the fate of Peter Obi, the most prominent 2023 presidential candidate from the southeast region. Nigerians are curious to see whether he’ll be Obi’s ally or foe.

    Time will surely tell. 

    Chiamaka Dike

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