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Lawyer Accuses DSS Of Flouting Order To Release Kanu

By Lawrence Njoku,, Enugu
15 November 2015   |   5:30 am
THERE were strong indications yesterday, that the five governors of the Southeast zone will use their meeting scheduled for Enugu on Tuesday to make a bold statement on the ongoing demonstrations, by pro-Biafra protesters and the continued detention of Radio Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu.

DSS• As South East Governors Move To End Protest

THERE were strong indications yesterday, that the five governors of the Southeast zone will use their meeting scheduled for Enugu on Tuesday to make a bold statement on the ongoing demonstrations, by pro-Biafra protesters and the continued detention of Radio Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu.

The governors, it was gathered, have resolved to wade into the matter, as the protesters seem to be unrelenting in their agitation.

They are also said to be worried that the situation might degenerate to the point not envisaged if something is not done to nip it in the bud.

Meanwhile, Counsel to Kanu, Mr Vincent Obetta yesterday, decried his continued detention by the Directorate of State Security Services (DSS), even after he had satisfied the bail condition, as stipulated by the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse.

Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Obetta, said that three court orders for the release of Kanu, which were properly served on the DSS had not been obeyed, appealing to all men of good conscience to urge the security outfit to obey court orders.

“We have come to a point where we need to address the world on the continued incarceration of my client (Kanu). Under the law, bail is granted an accused person not to set him free, but to allow him go and come back to prepare for his trial and to be brought back to the court on the next adjourned date. Irrespective of these three court orders, my client is being detained by the DSS, especially when he is not supposed to be in that custody. Once he had been arraigned, before a court of law, the practice is that he should be taken to the Nigerian Prisons, which have the prerogative power to keep prisoners. As it stands now, the liberty of my client is in issue and his continued violation, contrary to a subsisting court order. We are making this to say, that the law is sacrosanct in a democratic setting, where you have the three arms of government. Each of these arms of government exercises its functions under the law. The order of court under a democratic setting must be obeyed.”

Continuing, he said, “It is not in the interest of this nascent democracy that court judgments are not obeyed. The question now is if the DSS cannot obey a court order at this preliminary stage, it presupposes that my client has been found guilty and that is, he cannot enjoy his liberty pending the adjourned date. I call on well meaning Nigerians, those who love democracy tenets to enjoin the DSS to obey.

2 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    We are in for despotic and tyrannical governance in Nigeria, that is d naked truth and that is just d beginning. Or do you expect any thing different?

  • Author’s gravatar

    I pity Nigerians under this government, we are in for another 4yrs of dictatorship, make no mistake about it, extrajudicial killing, detention without trail, disobeying the court order, is only just beginning and will go round. one man detained or killed without judicial process is all Nigerians killed. if we all keep quiet it will continue and we don’t know who will be the next victim.