Former
Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Friday met the detained leader
of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in an effort to broker a
political solution to his trial for alleged treason.
Mr. Kanu
was arrested by the operatives of the State Security Service on October
14 and was charged alongside three others, David Nwawuisi, Benjamin
Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe, with treasonable felony.
After
the meeting, Mr. Kalu, who defected recently to the ruling All
Progressives Congress, told journalists in Abuja that the detainees had
given him the “go-ahead to talk on their behalf” with the Federal
Government. The former governor was optimistic that supporters of Mr.
Kanu would now be more cooperative with the authorities, following his
discussion with their leader. He said the discussion will form the basis for an interface between the Federal Government and Mr. Kanu. He added that the planned talk would have the view to end Mr. Kanu’s trial. “I
came to talk to him to talk to his supporters. I think they will have a
change of attitude. We are all Nigerians. If both himself and the
Federal Government are genuinely interested, we can come to a common
ground. It is a possibility,” said Mr. Kanu. On the decision of the
Federal High Court hearing the case against Mr. Kanu and his colleagues
to grant partial protection to prosecution witnesses, Mr. Kalu said the
practice has long existed. “The protection of witnesses is nothing
new in law. We can do that but it may not get to that stage; if we talk
to each other well. It is possible to settle out of court if both
parties are realistic.
“Now he has given me the go-ahead to
talk on his behalf. And if I can speak on his behalf, then the process
will begin; and if things go as they ought to, we might not get to the
stage of having to require protection of witnesses.
“If he
trusts me and the Federal Government trusts me, I don’t see how this
will not work. I know the government well. I am a member of the ruling
party. So I can use my position well,” Mr. Kalu said.
The former
governor explained that his visit was in line with the United Nations’
charter on human rights and in furtherance of his duty to the state he
once governed. “My visit to Kanu is in compliance with the United Nation’s charter that, anyone who is in prison should frequently be visited.
“I
decided to come and visit him as a younger brother and as a former
governor of Abia State; once you become a governor, you have a duty to
always protect your people.
Mr. Kanu and the three other members of IPOB are being tried at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
The
court had on December 17, 2015 ordered the SSS to release Mr. Kanu
unconditionally. But that ruling, delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola
who is being accused of fraud and is currently being prosecuted, was
upturned by another judge, John Tsoho, in January. Shortly after the
ruling refusing him bail, Mr. Kanu declared no confidence in Mr. Tsoho’s
impartiality, forcing the judge to withdraw from the matter.
Subsequently,
the case was transferred to another judge, Binta Nyako. Mrs. Nyako also
refused the same bail application for the defendant on December 1. In recent weeks, Mr. Kanu’s court appearance had been occasioned by commotion caused by his supporters at the court premises.
During
the last sitting on December 13, Mr. Kanu’s supporters clashed with
prison officials after he made some remarks against President Muhammadu
Buhari. Mr. Kanu hails from Isiam Afara Local Government Area of Abia state.
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