Nnamdi Kanu's Lawyer makes fresh move against FG, DSS

Nnamdi Kanu

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed contempt proceedings on the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) for disobeying an order by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of an Abuja Federal High Court, for his unconditional release.
In the contempt proceedings initiated before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, the IPOB leader joined the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) as co-defendants. Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, made this disclosure in a statement obtained by New Telegraph yesterday.
Ejiofor said: “The order made on the 17th day of December, 2016 by His Lordship, Hon. Justice A.F.A. Ademola, directing the unconditional release of Kanu was served on the DSS that same day the order was made.

“Still, the Department of State Services failed, refused and/or neglected to obey the order directing the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, apparently due to reasons best known to them, which has no justification under any law.

“Thirteen days after this order was made, specifically on the 30th day of December, 2015, the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, announced to the whole world during his presidential media chat that Nnamdi Kanu cannot be granted bail by any court in Nigeria.

“This extra judicial pronouncement by the executive had continued to influence the direction of Nnamdi Kanu’s political trial, as part of the reasons given by the president during this presidential media chat was quoted by the trial court, as constituting the grounds militating against Nnamdi Kanu’s freedom, while delivering ruling on his bail application.
“It is of elementary knowledge that an order of court is a law, which must be obeyed by all and sundry, including all institutions of government. It is the law that orders of the court no matter how it looks must be obeyed. But the anti-democratic forces have continued to treat with disdain and levity, positive orders of the court granted in favour of Nnamdi kanu, particularly in his politically orchestrated trial.

“It is on the face of this flagrant disobedience to the order of court directing the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu that we formally filed Form 48 (Notice of consequences of disobedience to court order) and Form 49 (Notice to show cause why the parties named in the application should not be committed for contempt) respectively, on September 28, 2016, before the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court Maitama, Abuja.”