A coalition of professionals in Nigeria and the Diaspora, Igbo Ekunie
Initiative, IEI, has described Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High
Court, Abuja as President Muhammadu Buhari’s stooge by her alleged
handling of the trial of Nnamdi Kanu and the Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB.
The group lambasted the judge for demanding the whereabouts of the
IPOB leader from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and one other who had stood
as sureties for Kanu.
They demanded that Justice Binta must end IPOB’S kangaroo trial or
withdraw from the case, stressing that the judge’s alleged bizarre and
illogical declarations continue to demonstrate that she is working on an
agenda and a script dictated by the federal government.
A statement signed by president of the group, Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke
and Lawrence Nwobu, Secretary, and made available to DAILY POST on
Friday said, “Our attention was recently drawn to trial proceedings in
Mr Nnamdi Kanu’s case wherein, Justice Binta Murtala Nyako declared that
Senator Enyinnaya Abbaribe, who had stood as one of the sureties, must
produce Mr Kanu or go to jail. We find this declaration illogical,
irrational and indeed against the dictates of natural justice.
“We note that Mr Kanu was on bail and was resident in his address
until the federal government flouted the law and launched a bloody
invasion of his home in full view of a global audience. While dozens of
people were brutally killed in Kanu’s residence, Kanu himself has not
been seen since the bloody raid. Against this backdrop, and beyond any
doubt, the responsibility for first violating the rule of law by
invading Kanu’s home and second his consequent disappearance rests on
the Nigerian army/federal government.
“We note therefore that Justice Nyako’s bizarre and illogical
declarations continue to demonstrate that she is working on an agenda
and script dictated by the federal government. This is more so
considering her demonstrated bias overall in the handling of the
Kanu/IPOB case.
“It’s important to note that several courts had previously granted Mr
Kanu and other IPOB activist’s unconditional bail which the lawless
federal government refused to obey. Yet when the case came before her
court, rather than insist that the rule of law be followed and that the
federal government must in the first instance comply with previous court
judgements granting Mr Kanu and others unconditional bail, she chose to
desecrate her own institution; abdicate her responsibility to dispense
justice without fear or favour and become a stooge for the federal
government, thereby acting since then on the federal governments
persecution script. When eventually she granted Mr Kanu bail under
intense public pressure; again acting on the script of the federal
government, she imposed impossible conditions that stripped Kanu of his
constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.
“The rule of law is the anchor of the modern state and basis for the
development of all successful societies. It is supposed to provide hope
and succour for the common man against the power and tyranny of the
mighty and powerful. Before it; all are supposed to be equal. The
fundamental of justice is supposed to remain supreme. We, however, note
that justice Binta Nyako’s Kangaroo court has repudiated the essence of
the rule of law and now uses her court to advance the tyranny of the
federal government against ordinary citizens. In line with the federal
government’s agenda, her Kangaroo court of injustice has continued to
prosecute/persecute IPOB members even when it is established that they
broke no law and acted within their constitutionally guaranteed rights
to freedom of expression and the right to self-determination.
“We note the hypocrisy and double standards of the federal government
and their stooge Justice Binta Nyako in continuing the
prosecution/persecution of non-violent IPOB members in the same country
that Fulani herdsmen that are daily killing hundreds of people across
the country are never arrested and thousands of murderous Boko Haram
terrorists are being released without trial. We are persuaded to ask;
how do Justice Binta Nyako and her paymasters sleep at night in the face
of such egregious injustice that rivals Apartheid South Africa or Adolf
Hitler’s 3rd Reich?
“In light of the above; we submit that Justice Binta Murtala Nyako is
an agent of the federal government and is acting a script dictated by
the federal government. As a consequence, we declare that Justice Binta
Nyako is biased, compromised and therefore unfit to dispense justice.
That her court is a “Kangaroo court of injustice” which has effectively
repudiated the essence of the rule of law and the fundamental dictates
of natural justice. We hereby ask Justice Binta Murtala Nyako to redeem
herself by quashing all charges against IPOB members and put a stop to
the shameful trial/persecution. If she is unable or unwilling to do so,
we request that she withdraw forthwith from the trial as her “Kangaroo
court of injustice” is unfit and incapable of doing justice to IPOB
members.“In closing; we refer to Uthman Dan Fodio who famously warned that “a
nation can survive with unbelief but it cannot survive injustice.”
Justice Nyako and all those who thrive on injustice/persecution of
others must know that by their actions and inactions, they are active
players in the injustices that are inevitably leading to the nation’s
eventual collapse.”
