Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu, Counsel, Call For Release Of CUPP's Ikenga

 

Lead Biafra apostle, Nnamdi Kanu of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Aloy Ejimakor, his Counsel, on Friday called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately release Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) who was arrested allegedly based on the instigation by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, AllNews reports.

Ugochinyere’s legal team in a statement issued on Thursday night by his counsel, Chibuzor Ezike said they were reliably informed that the ruling government's critic was arrested in a commando-style and was manhandled, assaulted and whisked away by the men against his will.

The statement read in part: ‘’The legal team of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has been notified of the arrest of our client by men of the Nigeria Police Force from the Force Headquarters at about 5:30 p.m this evening.

‘’We have been reliably informed by citizens who witnessed the commando-style arrest that our client was manhandled, assaulted, and whisked away by the men against his will.

"We were informed that he was eventually told that they were to arrest him based on the instigation by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

‘’Nigerians will recall that Gbajabiamila had misdirected the House of Representatives to pass a resolution against Ikenga and also to direct the Police and the Department of State Services to arrest him.

"However, on June 3, 2020, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court ordered the Police and the SSS ‘in clear terms not to give effect to the resolutions and acts of Gbajabiamila and further restrained them from arresting or detaining in any manner our client.

‘’However, in their usual disobedience to lawful orders of Court, the Police, still on the instigation of Gbajabiamila have arrested our client and have immediately begun to torture him.

"We call on the Inspector General of Police to harken to the order of the court and release our client immediately so as not to incur further odium from well-meaning lovers of democracy and constitutionality.

‘’The injunction order of the court and all processes in the matter have been served on the Police, including the hearing notice notifying that the matter has been adjourned for definite hearing on June 30, 2020.

"The matter came up for hearing yesterday with being June 17, 2020, and the Director-General of DSS and National Assembly both appeared in Court and have filed their defences while the Police refused to appear or file any defence.’’

 

WARNING!
The OPPOSITION parties in #Nigeria MUST be protected by all & sundry.

The FULANI Cabal known as @NGRPresident must FREE Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (@IkengaImo), CUPP Spokesman. #FreeSpeech is not a CRIME. You Janjaweed must release him NOW!#FreeIkenga pic.twitter.com/USeqEHILtv

— Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (@MaziNnamdiKanu) June 19, 2020

 

 

Reacting to the news, Kanu stated that "free speech is not a crime".

READ ALSO: Biafra: 'Nigeria Can Never Be One' - IPOB's Nnamdi Kanu

In a similar vein, Kanu's counsel, Ejimakor on his known Twitter handle criticised the law enforcement officers' action.

IKENGA Ugochinyere (@IkengaImo) is a STRONG opposition voice in #Nigeria. His DETENTION is one of many WRONGS that have exposed #OneNigeria as a GRAND deception, gone from violent suppression of #SelfDetermination to punishing Free Speech.

TREND this Tweet to #FreeIkenga??

— aloy ejimakor (@AloyEjimakor) June 19, 2020