Igbo leaders meet Buhari, demand Kanu’s release, Signs petitions.

Igbo leaders under the aegis of Highly Respected Igbo Greats have appealed to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to ensure the release of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group led by First Republic parliamentarian and former Minister of Aviation, 93-year-old Mbazulike Amaechi, made the appeal during a visit to the State House, Abuja, on Friday.

Other members of the delegation were former Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the Methodist Church, former President of Igbo socio-cultural group, Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike and Tagbo Amaechi.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari while responding to the Igbo leaders, stated that though the demand was heavy, he would consider it.

Buhari said unconditional release of the IPOB leader, who is currently standing trial, runs contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers between the executive and judiciary.

The President said, “You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on me as the leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious. In the last six years, since I became President, nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the judiciary.

“God has spared you (referring to the ex-minister), and given you a clear head at this age, with a very sharp memory. A lot of people half your age are confused already. But the demand you made is heavy. I will consider it.”

During the meeting, the nonagenarian described the situation in the South-East as “painful and pathetic,” lamenting businesses had collapsed while education was crumbling amid fears.

He promised that if Kanu was released to him as the only First Republic minister still alive, “he (Kanu) would no longer say the things he had been saying.”

Meanwhile IPOB has sought the intervention of the United Kingdom, urging the British Government to embark on an “aggressive diplomatic engagement” to ensure Kanu was released unconditionally. ‘‘in the shortest possible time.’’

It also alleged that over 300 IPOB members were being held across detention camps nationwide.

The lead lawyer to IPOB, Chief Ifeanyi Ejiofor, stated these in a letter to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria dated November 17 

The petition read in part, “The British Government is respectfully urged to do everything to protect the life of its national, our client, who, from every indication, is gripped by the vice-like, vengeful, and unrelenting stranglehold of the present Federal Government of Nigeria. Britain cannot afford to shirk the obligation it owes our client.

Similarly, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the condition Kanu was allegedly subjected to at the detention facility of the Department of the State Services.

The spokesman for Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, who spoke to our correspondent in Enugu, noted, “Ohanaeze advises that Nnamdi Kanu should be handled with care and whatever is happening should fit into the global best practices; trial of Nnamdi Kanu, condition he stays should be made open.”

This is just as the Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia issued an order restraining security agencies from deploying their personnel to the court premises each time Kanu’s case is being heard.

The court, presided over by Justice Benson Anya, also restrained them from arresting anybody who attends the court to witness Kanu’s proceedings.

The order was prompted by over 100 security agents who cordoned off the premises of the Abia State High Court in Umuahia at the resumed hearing of Kanu’s human rights suit against the Federal Government and seven others filed by his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor.

The suit is aimed at challenging Kanu’s abduction in Kenya and his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria.

The matter was adjourned to December 10, 2021 for adoption of processes and a hearing on the substantive application seeking Kanu’s release from detention and his repatriation to Britain.

Meanwhile, IPOB has alleged a plot by the Federal Government to kill Kanu in detention and declare a state of emergency in ‘Biafraland.’

200,000 Nigerians in UK should smoke Buhari out – Omokri

Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has urged Nigerians residing in London to “smoke” President Muhammadu Buhari out.

Omokri urged the 200,000 Nigerians in London to smoke Buhari out because he has not been seen.

He made the appeal in a tweet demanding Buhari’s whereabouts in London.

Omokri stressed that the Abuja House in London was under close watch.

Buhari had on Monday departed Nigeria for London.

The Presidency had said the president is expected to participate in an education summit and also visit his doctors, while in London.

On Tuesday, there were pictorial evidence that Buhari arrived at the Stansted International Airport, London at about 11:20pm (local time).

However, Omokri in a tweet, wrote: “Nigerians in London,

“I am counting on you to help me smoke the tyrant. We are up to 200,000 in this city.

“Does it mean none of us can fish the man out from whatever hole he is hiding? We have 24/7 intel on Abuja House. He is not there. Where is Buhari?”

Buhari without certificate attending global education summit, it’s a shame – Dino Melaye

Senator Dino Melaye who represented the Kogi West senatorial district during the 8th National Assembly has questioned the capacity of President Muhammadu Buhari to represent Nigerians in a global education summit in the United Kingdom.

Recall that Buhari traveled to UK on Monday to enable him attend the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025 in the UK.

Disclosing this, Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the President will remain in London for two weeks to enable him undergo his earlier scheduled medical checkup in London.

Reacting, the former lawmaker slammed the president for representing the country, stating that he has nothing to offer academically.

According to Dino, the President would have asked the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to represent the country in the global summit.

Dino made the remark in a video he tweeted on his official Twitter handle.

He said, “It is very funny that President Muhammadu Buhari has gone to London to attend the Global Education Summit.

“It is funny and it is outing Nigeria in a very bad shape because I’m wondering what will president Buhari be discussing in a global education summit.

“This is the man that has just secondary school certificate, a school sat failure and unfortunately, that certificate is even missing. We have not seen it, no copy of it.

“And you are going to a global education summit where you have professors emeritus. Where you have intellectual mobile characters. And Buhari is going to sit down and discuss what?

“I was even thinking that he would send someone like the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to go and interact. Except the president is going to be deaf and dumb in the summit.

“Except he is he is going there to be an observer, I’m imagining what President Buhari is going there to discuss.

“It is a shame that Nigeria is not represented in this global summit because we have a president who has nothing to offer, who is intellectually stagnant, who has no capacity academically.

“Present Buhari should have told us that he is going for medical not Global education summit”

UK to FG: Explain circumstances of Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest

Sequel to the alleged abduction of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya and his alleged rendition to Nigeria and continued detention by the Department of State Service, DSS, the United Kingdom (UK) has asked Nigeria to explain where and how the  separatist leader who holds British citizenship was arrested.

This came as the kinsmen of the re-arrested leader of  IPOB  have claimed that President Muhamnadu Buhari’s lopsided appointments in favour of his Fulani and Northern kinsmen is fuelling the renewed agitation for self determination in parts of the country.

Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi  Ejiofor had alleged that his client was detained and maltreated in Kenya before being sent back to Nigeria, Reuters has reported.

Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who has been agitating for secession of Biafra was on the run outside Nigeria for four  years following attack on his country home at Afra-Ukwu, in Abia State  by security forces until he was brought to court in Abuja on June 29 and told he would face trial.

“We are seeking clarification from the Nigerian government about the circumstances of the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu,” said Tariq Ahmad, a junior minister at Britain’s Foreign Office.”

The Nigerian authorities have refused to say where Kanu was arrested, while Kenya’s ambassador to Nigeria has denied his country was involved. 

But responding to a question about Kanu’s case from a lawmaker, Ahmad said Britain had requested consular access to Kanu and stood ready to provide consular assistance.

A spokesman for Nigeria’s Department of State Service, the security agency that is holding Kanu, could not immediately be reached for comment yesterday, a public holiday in Nigeria.

Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, alleged he was abducted by Kenya’s special police force and held for eight days before being handed over to Nigerian authorities.

Your nepotism fuelling agitation for self determination

President General of Isiama Afaraukwu Development Union, Umuahia North Council of Abia State, Chief Obioma Ebeogu; and his Vice, Chief  Benjamin Ohaeri, made the claims in an interview with our Correspondent.

Chief Obioma who spoke on the heels of Kanu’s alleged “abduction from Kenya and extraordinary rendition to Nigeria”, insisted that their son commited no crime but was only complaining of the marginalisation of his people.

He argued that if President Buhari had given a sense of belonging to other tribes particularly Ndigbo in his political appointments, many people would not bother to seek independence from Nigeria.

Obioma argued that the glaring disparity in distribution of political offices and other appointments by the Buhari-led administation is the reason the agitation for self autonomy by different sections of the country is on the increase.

The PG urged President Buhari to rather consider the issues raised by Kanu and other self  autonomy proponents instead of clamping them into detention.

Kanu’s kinsmen who raised concern over his health condition appealed to the federal government to grant him access to his personal physicians.

They said that “agitation for self determination is never a crime,” and told the federal government “to stop treating Kanu as a common criminal.”

Likening Kanu to Martin Luther King Jr who vigorously fought for the emancipation of the Blacks in America, the IPOB’s leader’s kinsmen urged Buhari to stop seeing him as a terrorist but a heroic freedom fighter seeking the good of his people.

“Our son is like Martin Luther fighting for the liberation of his people. The federal government should release him and engage him with a view to addressing the the issues he is raising”.

They further demanded that Kanu’s family should be granted unfettered access to him.

The kinsmen also urged the President to prevail on the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow Kanu sign the request for consular services and diplomatic assistance by the United Kingdom. They said preventing the IPOB leader from signing such request as alleged by his lawyer constituted to a huge infringement on his fundamental rights.

BREAKING: FG summons UK, US envoys over comments on Twitter ban

The Federal Government on Monday summoned the envoys of the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union in Nigeria over comments on the suspension of Twitter in the country.

The invitation was contained in a statement issued and made available to newsmen on Monday by the spokesman of the Crisis Monitoring and Public Communications Division of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa.

According to the statement, the meeting is scheduled to take place by 12pm at the Minister’s Conference Room, 8th Floor.

I am directed to inform that following the recent ban on Twitter by the Federal Government and Press Statement issued by some Heads of Diplomatic Missions Accredited to Nigeria on the subject matter, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency, Geoffrey Onyeama has invited the affected Ambassadors to a meeting today at 12 noon”.

Recall that following the suspension of the microblogging platform, the invited envoys had jointly kicked against the decision of the Federal Government stressing that banning systems of expression is not the way forward.

No block asylum for IPOB, applications will follow procedure – UK

The United Kingdom has ruled out a blanket ban on members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra who apply for asylum. Rather, the UK says all applications will be considered on their individual merit.

The Head of Communications, British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Dean Hurlock, made the clarification during a chat with Trio news.

The UK Visas and Immigration had last month released new guidelines to its decision makers on how to consider and grant asylum applications by members of Biafran secessionist groups.

However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the move was disrespectful to Nigeria because IPOB had been proscribed by the Federal Government.

The UK subsequently took down the guidelines and promised to update it soon.

In a chat on whether IPOB still qualified, Hurlock said applications by all Nigerian nationals would be treated on their individual merit.

He said, “This latest guidance is currently under review and has no longer been made available on our UK Government GOV.UK website.

“All asylum and human rights claims from Nigeria nationals, as is the case with all foreign nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.

“We publish reports in this way so it is clearer and fairer for all involved (applicants, their lawyers, judges, stakeholders such as the UNHCR). All UK asylum decisions can be appealed in the immigration courts, which are public.”

When asked if IPOB members would be given asylum if they qualify, he responded, “Every case is assessed on its own merit. If that guidance had never existed, we should still expect to consider a well meaning application fairly and follow due process.”

Attempts to get from the Federal Government proved abortive as the telephone line of the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwoye, indicated that it was switched off while the Minister of Informational, Lai Mohammed, did not respond to an inquiry on Sunday.

Violent Attacks: Northern Coalition Warns UK To Stop Protecting IPOB

Following several attacks in the South East region and other parts of the country, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned the international community, especially the British government to stop covering the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Trio news reports that there have been several attacks on security agents across the South East and South South of the country.

IPOB has been blamed for the attacks.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday by the spokesman of CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the Northern coalition said the United Kingdom has continued to accommodate the IPOB leader despite his atrocities.

”Since Nigeria remains committed to peace and global order, yet, our friends in the international community, particularly the United Kingdom continue to give safe haven to the very IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who again and again has called for war and genocide and his propaganda, campaign and directives instigating many of his followers to target and kill people and to loot their properties and violate their dignity and rights, the CNG hereby resolves to:

”Call on our friends and the international community, the UK especially, to understand that our bilateral friendship is guided by the principles of sovereignty, promotion of peace and the standards that guides legitimate interference. Hence, their intervention, exclamations and actions should not be drawn to discountenance the effort of the Nigerian state to protect citizens from violence and terror.

”Warn our friends, particularly in Europe and the entire international community/ organisations to weigh the impact and consequence of these campaigns coming from their backyard.

”We finally wish to renew our request for the global community’s intervention in persuading Nigerian authorities and the United Nations to facilitate the final actualization of the Biafran dream by the Igbo.

”The world should keep in mind that by far, a destabilized Nigeria will certainly threaten the peace and security of the entire sub-Saharan Africa,” the statement read.

Asylum to IPOB members: UK is being disrespectful and sabotaging terrorism fight- FG

The Federal Government says the reported decision of the United Kingdom to grant asylum to “persecuted” members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is disrespectful of Nigeria as a nation.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also said that the decision amounted to sabotaging the fight against terrorism and generally undermining Nigeria’s security.

Fielding questions from Newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Mohammed said the decision is unacceptable to Nigeria.

“Let me say straight away that this issue is within the purview of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and I am sure he will handle it appropriately.

“But as the spokesman for the Federal Government of Nigeria, I will say that if indeed the report that the UK will grant asylum to supposedly persecuted IPOB and MASSOB members is true, then something is wrong somewhere.

“Against the background of the fact that IPOB is not only proscribed but also designated as a terrorist organisation here in Nigeria, the UK’s decision is disrespectful of Nigeria as a nation.

“The decision amounts to sabotaging the fight against terrorism and generally undermining Nigeria’s security.

“It is not only unconscionable, but it is also inexplicable,’’ he said.

The minister said that there had recently been heightened attacks against security agencies in the South East Zone.

He said IPOB had been fingered as being behind the attacks in spite of its denials.

“For the UK to choose this time to give succour to IPOB beggars belief and calls to question the UK’s real intention.

“If we could go down the memory lane, what the UK has done is like Nigeria offering asylum to members of the IRA before the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) had released new guidelines to its decision-makers on how to consider and grant asylum applications by members of Biafran secessionist groups.

In the guidelines, asylum is to be granted to “persecuted” members IPOB, a group that Nigeria had designated as a terrorist organisation.

Also in the guidelines, asylum is to be granted to the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra.

Biafrans seeks for referendum not asylum – Nigerians tell UK

Some Nigerians have kicked against the UK’s Asylum visa option for members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Recall that the UK visas and Immigration (UKVI) released new guidelines on how to consider and grant asylum applications to members of Biafran secessionist groups to its embassy staff.

Asylum is to be granted to “persecuted” members IPOB and MASSOB, the guideline said.

But the Nigerian government immediately condemned the decision by the UK, alleging it was sabotage on the fight against insecurity.

Some Igbos and Nigerians reacting on social media rejected UK’s offer, insisting that Biafrans need a referendum and not asylum.null

Some described the offer as a blow to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Here are some comments gathered by Trio news from Twitter;

@Anayo_El “ I support Referendum not Asylum to IPOB and MASSOB. All of us can’t leave our land to a foreign land.”

@ChiUkwu2 “ UK and Nigeria Governments think they are smarter and plotting to use Asylum to destroy Biafra Agitation now they know IPOB are more Serious.

“They should understand that Biafrans love their lands and can never fall for any enticement such as Asylum which is their last game.”

@Ugobueze “ All we need is Referendum.”

@Funshographix “Britain so love the Igbo people that they want to give Asylum to IPOB but not Biafran Nation. Hypocrite of the highest order.”

@RealOduah “Decision by the British government to give political asylum to IPOB and MASSOB members is a major diplomatic victory for the separatist organizations and a major blow to the Buhari regime. Coming from the biggest foreign supporter and enabler of the Nigerian state. A major volte-face!

@General_Somto “ UK Asylum to IPOB is like the devil giving you a gift with his right hand and collecting it back with his left hand. We Biafrans are not destitute and We’re not running away from our land of heritage neither are we scared of defending our territory. We need REFERENDUM Not Asylum!

“Ask the UK government offering asylum to IPOB If they are prepared to give asylum to over 50 million Biafrans persecuted and oppressed every day in Nigeria. Biafrans need FREEDOM, not Political Asylum. We can’t be a refugee in another man’s country while abandoning our own lands.”

@OfiliChukwuma “ We are not asylum seekers in our fatherland and elsewhere! All we need is a referendum.”

@Johniky5 “ UK is not our home Biafra is our home, give us freedom not asylum. IPOB wants to be free from a terrorist country called Nigeria, not Asylum.”

@IamWytunes “Same FG that loves granting amnesty to terrorists is angry that the UK wants to grant ordinary asylum to IPOB members? Your hatred for Ndigbo shall be your undoing!

@Uncle_Ajala “ FG says UK’s decision to grant asylum to IPOB members is disrespectful. The president going for a medical check-up in the UK isn’t disrespectful to FG? If FG thinks only IPOB will jump on this offer with the way Nigeria is becoming unbearable for the masses, the joke is on FG.”

@Jino389 “ UK we need Referendum, not asylum.”

@QED “ Anyone asking for a referendum under Buhari’s Government is building castles in the air. IT CAN NEVER HAPPEN!!