Group faults DSS for refusing Kanu’s lawyers entry into courtroom
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has deplored the continued sit-at-home every Monday in the South-East region of the country even when it has called off the order.
The group, which yesterday urged residents to go about their normal lawful duties on Mondays, warned that it would deal with anyone enforcing the sit-at-home on that day.
Since August 9, 2021 when the sit-at-home called by IPOB began in the South-East region, residents have continued to comply with the order every Monday even when the group called off the exercise two weeks later.
Disturbed by the development, however, IPOB said yesterday that it would no longer tolerate forcing the people indoors in the name of a cancelled sit-at-home order.
In a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said: “We wish to reiterate once again that IPOB has cancelled off Monday’s sit-at-home order and anybody or group enforcing the relaxed order is neither from IPOB nor from IPOB volunteer group.
“We are advising our people to ignore anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order and go about their normal business because such person(s) are working for our enemies and their intension is to blackmail IPOB and set the movement against the people but they won’t succeed.”
MEANWHILE, a South-East-based youth group, Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), has berated the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for their alleged refusal to allow lawyers of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to enter the courtroom on Wednesday during the trial of the latter.
In a statement signed by its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, COSEYL said, yesterday, that the action portrayed the country in a bad light.
The group queried the reason behind the action, saying: “We want to know why Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers were denied entry today in court? Has our constitution changed overnight? Are lawyers no longer advocates for their clients in courts? What is really happening in Nigeria? The country is in comatose.
“Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer Bruce Fein from the United States of America was today denied access to the courtroom to see his client Kanu. The United Nations (UN) and the international community can now confirm for themselves what Nigeria has turned into. It is really a sad one.
“If lawyers are no longer qualified by law to defend their clients in courts as we saw today, were DSS operatives determine who go into the court room, who then are to advocate for the people?”
The Guardian