A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has condemned the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, which sentenced leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
Eze pointed out that Omotosho had no reason to go ahead with such judgement when there was an appeal before the court bothering on jurisdiction and Kanu’s unlawful and awkward rendition to Nigeria.
The APC Chief described the court’s decision as contrary to every recognized standard of practice in such circumstances.
Eze, a former Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, further stated that Justice Omotosho’s court erred in law by refusing to acknowledge Kanu’s final written address.
Recall that Kanu had written a final address which many believe would have tackled the anomalies in the entire trial.
However, drama ensued in court on the day of judgement when Justice Omotosho, denied the IPOB leader the opportunity to make his final comments.
Kanu was later escorted out of the court and judgement read and passed in his absence.
Eze pointed to section 36 of the 1999 constitution which guarantees fair hearing, insisting that section of the law was grossly and unapologetically violated.
He said the judgement in its entirety was a corruption of law and travesty of justice.
He recalled that two days before the Abia-born agitator was convicted, precisely on November 18, Boko Haram co-founder, Mamman Nur, was given just five years jail term despite being tied to the deaths of 2,000 defenceless citizens.
Eze also noted that Islamist terrorists organizations, pursuing the jihadist agenda, have continued to kill, destroy and kidnap innocent Nigerians without any reasonable efforts by the government of the day to bring the menace under control.
He called for calm, expressing confidence “that Nnamdi Kanu would regain his freedom in due course of time. “His trial, conviction and sentence clearly violated Nigerian laws and other relevant international instruments on rights of humans.”