HURIWA Says Masked Witnesses For Kanu Is A Travesty Of Justice

IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu

A pro-Democracy Non-governmental organization – Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described as a monumental travesty of justice the decision by the Federal High Court Abuja Division to allow for the use of masked witnesses by the office of Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Director of Europe Based Radio Biafra Prince Nnamdi Kanu.
HURIWA said the ill-advised and illegal decision by the Federal High Court to allow masked witnesses is tantamount to allowing ghost witnesses and this constitute a grave abuse of natural justice and represents the disservice to the principles, letters and tenets of the Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights as enshrined in chapter four of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended ) which clearly spells out that an accused person must be afforded all his rights to interrogate genuine witnesses so as to present his side of the matter to enable the judicial forum exercise her authority in a transparent and accountable manner in line with Sections 36 (5) of the constitution that guarantees fair hearings to all accused persons.
In a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the prayer by the current Federal Government to bring in masked witnesses is a clear demonstration of the fact that the current government has not come to equity with clean hands because the basic ethical principle of transparency says that he who must come to equity must do so with clean hands not with distorted and contrived trepidation. “If the government claims that Nnamdi Kanu has committed those outrageous charges being paraded in the Federal High Court then why the apprehension to present clean witnesses rather than invite false witnesses with the predetermined purpose of misguiding the court of law?. We are disappointed that the Court system in Nigeria can in this twenty first century capitulate to the overwhelming blackmail of Federal government officials by granting a prayer for masked witnesses that by all intents and purposes are manifestly unconstitutional and illegal? This same Federal High Court granted an earlier bail order in favor of Nnamdi Kanu which President Muhammadu Buhari failed to respect and openly gave flimsy excuses for this clear disrespect for the authority of the court system but this same court system has failed to sanction the Federal government for this violations but has decided to behave like sycophantic disciples of the Executive Arm of Government “.
HURIWA recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja, had recently granted an order seeking the protection of witnesses during the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Earlier in February, the court refused the federal government’s application to mask its witnesses in Mr. Kanu’s trial
But Justice John Tsoho gave the new ruling after hearing the arguments of both counsels for and against government’s application to produce witnesses protected “by a screen”.
Mr. Kanu and two others, Benjamin Maudubugwu and David Nwawuisi, are standing trial for treason, maintaining an unlawful society, among other charges.
The lead defense counsel, Chuks Muoma, who recounted the various stages of the case since it started in October 2015, accused the prosecution of unwittingly prolonging the matter.
HURIWA condemned the way the same Court did a 360 degree turn around to probate and reprobate on the illegal prayer tabled by government to present masked witnesses against Nnamdi Kanu.

Biafra: Detaining Kanu is not in Best Interest of Nigeria, Balarabe Musa tells Buhari

Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, says the economy has been going from bad to worse since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office almost nine months ago. “You must have the political will and sincerity to do justice to everybody”, the veteran politician tells the President in this interview, saying he (Buhari) requires more than integrity or credibility to administer Nigeria.
You are aware that some Igbo are agitating for Biafra?
Well, the government provoked them! When this government appointed its kitchen cabinet, was there anyone to represent the interest of the South-East there? Detaining Nnamdi Kanu, the arrow head of the agitation, is not in the best interest of our dear country. President Buhari, being the father of the country, should try to reconcile with the South-East, the same way the late President Umaru Yar‘Adua reconciled with the Niger-Delta militants.
But prominent Igbo leaders have disowned the agitating youths.


That is the major reason he should reconcile with them because there is a disconnect between these agitating youths and their leaders. They have been provoked with the exemption of  the region from his kitchen cabinet! He is the leader of the country. They are not like Boko Haram that you can’t  identify. You simply work with them. He should call them for peace talks and they will respond. Out of the 20 million registered voters, only 15 million voted for him. Should he then ignore the five million that didn’t vote for him?  There should be a culture of fairness in governance.

What is your message for the President?
He has the people’s mandate to rule this country, he should make use of that mandate fairly and with justice. Secondly, he is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and, therefore, the chief security officer of Nigeria. He is the financial controller of the country, so he can do a lot. The President of Nigeria is what the Yoruba in the South-West refer to as Oga patapata! And in Hausa, they say Sariki yanka  (highest king in the land). He should be able to compel everybody to march along. With this, the marginalisation mentality of the Igbo will be corrected and  result in peaceful Nigeria. Buhari should run a government of national unity in which  other political parties will be involved according to their   relevance. The Igbo should be given all their entitlements in representation, according to federal character and as enshrined in the Constitution. If the marginalisation of the Igbo in the kitchen cabinet of the President had happened to the North in the event that a southerner is the head of government, where would Nigeria be?
So why is it happening to Ndigbo that are part and parcel of Nigeria?
That is why I feel it is a mistake that should be corrected immediately, and things will be favourable  to Nigeria and the President. The fact that a great number of Igbo had abandoned Biafra and called for one Nigeria, is a call for peace. I think Buhari should embrace it and make amends