MASSOB passes vote of no confidence on Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership; rejects restructuring …As FG gets nod to produce witnesses …Biafra: Court shifts resumption of Kanu, others trial to Oct 17 By Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Chimaobi Nwaiwu ABUJA—The Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, fixed October 17 to begin a full hearing into the treasonable felony charge the Federal Government entered against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. Federal Government is prosecuting Kanu alongside three other pro-Biafra agitators – Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi. This is just as the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB ,yesterday said it has passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, following their alleged lack-lustre attitude towards the affairs of Ndigbo and Biafrans in general. Members of the Movement for the Survival of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) during their rally to mark the 17th anniversary of the movement, yesterday, in Awka, Anambra State. The trial of pro-Biafra agitators, which was originally billed to commence this week, was shifted till October considering that the high court has embarked on its annual vacation. The prosecution had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, alleged that Kanu, being the leader of IPOB, conspired with his co-defendants and others now at large, on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria and London, to broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu and other areas, preparations for states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue states, to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with a view to constituting same into a Republic of Biafra. The defendants were said to have committed an offence punishable under section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Though trial Justice Binta Nyako had in a ruling on April 25 released Kanu on bail after he had spent a year and seven months in detention, the court however okayed his co-defendants to remain in prison custody. Justice Nyako said her decision to release Kanu who is the 1st defendant, on bail, was on health ground. She cited an affidavit that was attached to a bail application Kanu filed through his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor. However, the IPOB leader was compelled to produce three sureties, including “a jewish leader” and a “highly placed person of Igbo extraction”, who all deposited N100 million each before he was granted temporary freedom by the court. He was formally released to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, a Jewish High Chief Priest, Immanuu-El Shalom and a Chartered Accountant residing in Abuja, Mr. Tochukwu Uchendu, on April 28. As part of his conditions for bail, Kanu was expressly barred by the court from attending any rally or granting any form of interview. “I must stress it here that the defendant must not attend any rally. He must not be in a crowd exceeding 10 persons”, the Judge warned. Justice Nyako held that Kanu who was arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from the United Kingdom on October 14, 2015, must sign an undertaken to make himself available for trial at all times. He was further ordered to surrender his Nigerian and British international passports, even as the court compelled the FG to return to him, his wedding ring and reading glasses. Nevertheless, Kanu’s co-defendants were denied bail by the court which described charges against them as “very serious”. Justice Nyako said the fact that she earlier struck out terrorism charges FG slammed against the defendants did not water-down the seriousness of the charge of treasonable felony against them. The court had in a ruling on March 1, struck out six out of the eleven charges FG initially entered against Kanu and the others. Six of the charges were struck out on the premise that they were not supported by the proof of evidence FG adduced before the court. The court also rejected FG’s claim that the defendants were members of an illegal organisation. Justice Nyako said the fact that IPOB was not an organisation registered in Nigeria did not make it an illegal society. Kanu who was hitherto the Director of Radio Biafra and Television, had through his lawyers, insisted that IPOB was duly registered in over 30 countries including the United Kingdom. He had on December 12, 2016, threatened in the open court that he would in the course of the trial, expose secrets he said would sink Nigeria. The defendants who are answering to a five-count charge equally alleged plot by FG to import foreigners to testify against them. Kanu is facing four out of the five count charges. The trial judge had earlier granted FG the nod to shield identities of all the witnesses billed to testify in the matter. The court directed that the witnesses who are mostly security operatives would testify behind a screen or wear mask when the need arises, a decision the defendants protested against, insisting that it was wrong for the court to allow “masquerades” to give evidence against them. While dismissing some of the previous charges against the defendants, Justice Nyako held that FG could not establish any element of crime in its allegation that Kanu had between March and April 2015, imported into Nigeria a radio Transmitter known as TRAM 50L and kept it in a container that was left in custody of the 3rd defendant, Madubugwu, at Ubuluisiuzor in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State. The court however held that Kanu has a case to answer pertaining to allegation in count-four that he lied that the Radio Transmitter was concealed in a container of used household items which the defendant declared as unused household items. Whereas the court struck out counts 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 of the charges, it however sustained counts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8. The sustained charges, to which all the defendants entered a plea of not guilty to, border on conspiracy, treasonable felony, publication of defamatory matter and Kanu’s alleged importation of goods contrary and punishable under section 47(2) (a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. In count three of the pending charges, FG alleged that Kanu had in a broadcast he made in London on April 28, 2015, through Radio Biafra, referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as “a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil”. Madubugwu was specifically accused of having in his possession at his house, one Emerald Magnum Pump Action Gun with serial number TS 870- 113- 0046, one Delta Magnum Pump Action Gun with serial number 501, and 41 Cartridges/ Ammunition, without lawful authority or licence. MASSOB passes vote of no confidence on Ohanaeze Ndigbo MASSOB in a statement by its national Director of Information, Comrade Edeson Samuel said they recently discovered that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo whom they thought feels the pains of Ndigbo and Biafrans are pursuing personal and egocentric desires. …Lauds governors meeting “While, we disagree with the call for restructuring by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, MASSOB wishes to commend the South-east, South-south governors for coming together for their meeting held last Saturday in Enugu, even though the meeting to us was a total failure. The governors have indeed, this time taken a bold step for coming together which is important for the two regions. “The unity of these two regions is very important for us. We urge these governors to reactivate the dilapidated infrastructures and abandoned companies in the two regions, instead of relying and waiting in vain on the Federal Government of Nigeria to site any Federal Government project in these two regions, which it will not do because the of the hatred for the people of these regions who are mostly Biafrans. “We, the members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, under the leadership of Mazi Uchenna Madu have passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo because of their lack-lustre attitude towards the affairs of Ndigbo and Biafra in general. “These men, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership whom we thought feel our pains before now, have shown us who they are and we have discovered that they are pursuing personal and egocentric desires. We never knew before now that they are not working for Ndigbo and Biafrans in general. “They want to destroy our future and in the process, have destroyed their own future because of their immediate need to enrich themselves. They have exposed themselves and we now know them better.” According to MASSOB, “the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has proven that they cannot be trusted. Their opposition against referendum has shown that they do not have Igbo interest at heart. “While many respected Igbo leaders and leaders from other parts of the country are clamouring for referendum, it is very clear that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has nothing to offer Ndigbo but using the organization to get contracts from Abuja. “MASSOB is warning Ohanaeze Ndigbo to retrace their steps towards Biafran issue because we will not allow them to jeopardize our future and that of our children. A lot of blood has been shed because of Biafra and we cannot let that blood be in vain. “MASSOB will never accept restructuring because there is no amount of restructuring that will save Nigeria from disintegration. ”The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has failed Ndigbo completely. We are going to make Biafran land too hot for the shameless, greedy, self centered politicians who cannot see the handwriting on the wall.” The post MASSOB passes vote of no confidence on Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership; rejects restructuring appeared first on Vanguard News. For More details click the green link via Naijapounds