DSS violated court-ordered procedure by allowing ex-Gov Kalu to visit Kanu,’ says IPOB

Pro-secession group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Department of State Security (DSS) and the former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu, of violating the court-ordered guideline for the visits Nnamdi Kanu, in the custody of the Director of Security Service (DSS).

Kanu is the leader of the IPOB who is currently in the court-ordered custody of the DSS in Abuja.

Lead Counsel to IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who stated this in a statement to newsmen in Owerri, Imo State, Tuesday, said as a result of the failure to follow the process, IPOB has commenced an investigation into why DSS should allow the former governor to visit their leader.

IPOB added that they were afraid that such a visit could amount to the use of force on their leader to accept a false narrative about the struggle for self-determination.

“We can at best describe what transpired on Tuesday between a visitor whom the detaining authority ostensibly aided to violate the court-ordered guideline for visiting our Client as bizarre and unusual.

“The DSS is not oblivious of the terms of the court’s guideline which they have consistently maintained in the past that it must be obeyed to the letter, and through which position they had denied many friends and Attorneys of our Client, access to him.

“However, caution was thrown to the wind yesterday and instead of insisting on this full compliance with the existing guideline, the DSS for reasons best known to them allowed a visitor access to our Client even before the time scheduled for the formal visit and without his lawyers being present during the visit.

“It is of serious concern that the visit was conducted without strict adherence to the court-ordered guideline, but more condescending that the visit later became a subject of political gimmicks. If Our Client’s Attorneys, his flesh and blood brothers, and his wife will visit him in due compliance with the court-ordered guideline, how can the DSS authorize a visit from any other person in gross violation of this guideline?

“There is more to it than meets the eyes, which the DSS is now under a compelling duty to explain to us. Granted that his name appeared among the list submitted at the 11th hour alongside the names of the lawyers scheduled for the visit, but hurriedly proceeding to conduct the visit without us being present in line with the requirement of the guideline left us with many unanswered questions.

“We have initiated a formal process towards ensuring a thorough investigation of what transpired yesterday, and we shall not hesitate to formally address the world on this subject if there is an attempt to sweep our petition under the carpet.

“The Order of the court and terms as laid down guideline, to regulate visits to our Client is to ensure his maximum protection from persons who may wish to secretly seize the opportunity to hurt or intimidate him into accepting a false narrative outside the dungeon where he is being illegally detained, and they could achieve this through threats and/or coercion. Hence, the need for the presence of his lawyers before granting any audience.

“We may not wish to speak further on this subject or even discuss our Client’s position on this visit pending the outcome of the investigation on the DSS authorized violation of the court court-ordered.

“In as much as we have unequivocally demanded a date investigation, we are not by any means insinuating that visitors of our Client’s choice are not permitted or restrained from visiting him henceforth, but our position is that every visit to our Client must conform with the already set out guideline by the court,” the statement by Ejiofor read.

Senator representing Abia North in the senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, last Monday, visited Kanu in Abuja.

Kanu, who is also a former Governor of Abia State held a chat with Kanu during his visit to the IPOB leader who is currently in the custody of the Department of State (DSS) where he was remanded by an Abuja Federal High Court of Justice Binta Nyako.

Kanu is facing a seven-count charge brought against him by the Nigerian government through the DSS, including treason, terrorism, and others.

After the visit, Senator Kalu told newsmen that Kanu was in good health and care, adding that he advised the activist on the way forward in his agitations for an Independent South East region of Biafra.

According to Kalu, ‘whether he (Kanu) and his family listens to me or not, I will continue counseling him as I have always done in the past. What we need most is a peaceful and secured society.’

”This afternoon, I visited my brother, Maazi Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody , Abuja . I met him in good health and care and we discussed as ‘Umunne’. In 2001 when I was Governor, I made his father Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, traditional ruler of Akwara Ukwu and since then the family has been very close to me.“

”I understand that Nnamdi has an insane amount of people rooting for his back home and I encouraged him to consider the consequences of certain actions and utterances for the sake of the same people. “

“Even though, my ideology and his ideology are totally different, God has made us brothers and we can’t run away from each other. I owe him and Nigerians good counseling …Whether he and his family listens to me or not, I will continue counseling him as I have always done in the past. What we need most is a peaceful and secured society.”