The Senator representing Anambra South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ubah, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Department of State Services, (DSS) allow him to have access to the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu who is currently being detained in its facility.
In a motion on notice dated October 15, & filed before the court, Senator Ubah, in the company of his defence counsel, Maxwell Opara, said such visit is part of his oversight legislative function as empowered by the Constitution
Mr Kanu was arrested and brought into Nigeria in June to face a treason trial over the activities of IPOB in the country.
Since he was brought into Nigeria, he had been detained at the detention facility of the DSS pending his trial.
He also confirmed that he was denied access to Kanu and was directed to approach the court to obtain permission before he could be allowed access to the IPOB leader.
Senator Ubah, who is the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, (YPP) said his visit was to ameliorate and fashion a meeting point or creating a discussion table aimed at reducing tension and quelling the agitation and killings in the South East.
The lawmaker said since the arrest and detention of Kanu, there had been serious agitation aimed at pressing home his release and this had degenerated into the proclamation of sit-at-home orders in the South-East; a situation which is crippling the economy of the South East.
According to him, “The Sit-at-Home orders are a medium of expression of solidarity to the detained defendant and same has been hijacked by unknown criminal elements who are now terrorizing the South East and engaging in wanton killings, assassinations and burning of valuable properties.
“The Sit-at-Home orders have gravely affected the economy of the South East and had often led to the killing of flouters, arson and assassination of notable persons by a terror group called unknown gunmen.
“As a senator from the South East geo-Political Zone of Nigeria, I took it upon myself in carrying out my oversight legislative functions to visit the defendant at the DSS detention facility to ascertain from him if he is involved in any way in what is happening in the South East and to seek way of amicable settlement of the separatist agitation in the South East in the overall interest of Nigeria.”
The lawmaker further explained that his “Interest in seeking to see the defendant is in the interest of national peace and security.”
PIAK
