I’m Still Entitled To $800m Compensation - Kanu

The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has said that despite being granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja where he is being prosecuted alongside others on charges of treasonable felony, he is still entitled to the $800m compensation for his alleged unlawful arrest and detention in 2015.
This is contained in his response to the motion filed by the Federal Government asking the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States sitting in Abuja to dismiss a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by the IPOB leader.

Kanu had filed the suit on March 3, 2016 demanding $800m as compensation from the Federal


Government for his alleged unlawful arrest in 2015 and detention.

But the Federal Government, through its lawyer, Mrs. Maimuna Shiru, filed its motion on November 13, stating that Kanu having been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja on April 25, 2017, and allegedly jumped bail, the judgment of the ECOWAS Court on the suit would serve no purpose.

But Kanu, through his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, objected to the Federal Government’s motion contending that granting bail to the IPOB leader was just a partial satisfaction of prayers sought in the suit.

He maintained that the ECOWAS Court had the power to grant his client the $800m compensation sought since the IPOB leader’s rights had been violated.

Ejiofor stated in his written address, “We submit therefore that the court has powers to order for payment of compensatory damages when found that the plaintiff’s right has been violated.”

IPOB & Their Biafra Fight Can Stop Igbos From Producing Nigeria’s President – Governor Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has stated that the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will affect the chances of Igbos to produce Nigeria’s president.

According to him, the agitators had every right to complain about marginalization but not a call for separation from the country as they have been doing.

He told newsmen on Thursday that IPOB was not good for the South East, and it was not the best way for them to complain about marginalisation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said, “There are better ways; the IPOB way is too primitive. If IPOB must do a thing like that it should have changed the name and fought the way Ijaw youths fought, Arewa youths fought, and they would have made more impact. For everything that comes from the Igbo man, we love to go to the extreme.

“Now you want to separate yourself from Nigeria, meanwhile, South-South will not go with you, Edo, Rivers will not go with you. If you cut us off here now as South east, if I need to go to Rivers State, I will go and ask for passport and visa, and we are keeping quiet to say this.

“If there is a crisis now, there is no Hausa man in Igbo land who has a duplex, there is no Yoruba man who has a room and parlour or a N20 million investment in Igbo land, but Igbo have trillions of naira virtually everywhere.

“The same people are asking for secession. If Igbo are asked to go, what happens? They would lose their property, and all of us are keeping quiet, supporting IPOB! It was very childish, and those behind this should stop, that is my advice.

“South-South has produced the president, South-West has produced a president and Vice President, the north has produced many presidents, it is hoping that one day in the next shift, by whatever arrangement, the next people that should be considered is the South-East by Nigeria’s sharing formula.

“So, where are we in our wisdom and the intelligence? That is my position on IPOB; my advice is that Igbo should change their style and condemn IPOB in a manner that should be done and let us flow with the rest of Nigeria for now because we shall benefit more than anyone else.”