IPOB: Buhari will be embarrassed if Kanu is tried for treason, defamation

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said President Muhammadu Buhari and his family will be “scandalously” embarrassed if its leader Nnamdi Kanu is tried for treason and defamation.

IPOB urged justice Binta Murtala-Nyako to dismiss four of the charges brought against Kanu.

Murtala-Nyako had on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, dismissed six counts filed against Kanu while sustaining five others.

IPOB in a statement released on Thursday said that based on the criminal code act of Nigeria, Kanu can no longer be tried for treason two years after committing the alleged offence.

The secessionist group also said its leader can’t be accused of defaming “Buhari, as the President of Nigeria”, a month before he became Nigeria’s president.

The statement was signed by IPOB spokespersons, Emma Nmezu and Clifford Iroanya

“The cited section and schedule in the ACJA require that every charge must include the date, year, and location of the commission of the offence for which the accused is being charged. When it comes to the specificity of time of the commission of an offence, there is no provision for the term “Diverse Dates“ either in Section-196(1) or in Second Schedule of ACJA-2015, the statement read.

“Secondly, Section-43 of CAP-C38 requires that an accused person is no longer triable for treason and related felonies after two years from the stated date of commission of the offence. It is because of this same Section-43 that, today, Muhammadu Buhari is not being tried for treason which he committed on December 31, 1983.

“Without a specific date of commission of the offence, how then can the prosecution prove that two years have not elapsed as at the time of commencement of this case in Binta’s court? In addition to dismissing these three counts, we urge Justice Binta Murtala–Nyako to indict, convict, and jail the prosecution for committing a crime punishable under Section-118 of CAP-C38.

“On the 29th of May, 2015, Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in as the President of Nigeria which includes the occupied territories of Biafraland. Count #4 stated that Buhari, as the President of Nigeria, was defamed by Nnamdi Kanu on the 28th of April 2015. This is not only a false claim on the status of Buhari as at April 28, 2015, it is also a case of perjury, and the prosecution must be indicted and convicted of committing a crime as specified in Section-117 of CAP-C38.

“We also categorically state that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu could not have referred to Buhari as the President of Nigeria as at April 28, 2015. We warn Justice Binta Murtala–Nyako that should she refuse to dismiss count #4, we shall base our argument for the continuation of the charge on Section-379(5) of CAP-C38 and the court must grant us our rights to subpoena everyone that will be linked to the charge in line with our argument.

“Based on the evidence we have and those to be subpoenaed, we foresee a scandalous embarrassment to the person of Buhari, his wife Aisha and her children, and the entire Nigerian political establishment if Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako chooses not to dismiss this charge of defamation (count #4).

“In conclusion, IPOB is demanding that Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako dismisses four out of the five remaining charges because they are based on fraud, false claims, and are in conflict with the relevant sections of CAP-C38 and ACJA-2015.”