Lawyer Accuses DSS Of Flouting Order To Release Kanu

Lawyer Accuses DSS Of Flouting Order To Release Kanu

Lawyer Accuses DSS Of Flouting Order To Release Kanu

• As South East Governors Move To End Protest
THERE were strong indications
yesterday, that the five governors of the
Southeast zone will use their meeting
scheduled for Enugu on Tuesday to make
a bold statement on the ongoing
demonstrations, by pro-Biafra protesters
and the continued detention of Radio
Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu.
The governors, it was gathered, have
resolved to wade into the matter, as the
protesters seem to be unrelenting in
their agitation.
They are also said to be worried that the
situation might degenerate to the point
not envisaged if something is not done to
nip it in the bud.
Meanwhile, Counsel to Kanu, Mr Vincent
Obetta yesterday, decried his continued
detention by the Directorate of State
Security Services (DSS), even after he had
satisfied the bail condition, as stipulated
by the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse.
Addressing newsmen in Enugu, Obetta,
said that three court orders for the
release of Kanu, which were properly
served on the DSS had not been obeyed,
appealing to all men of good conscience
to urge the security outfit to obey court
orders.
“We have come to a point where we
need to address the world on the
continued incarceration of my client
(Kanu). Under the law, bail is granted an
accused person not to set him free, but to
allow him go and come back to prepare
for his trial and to be brought back to
the court on the next adjourned date.
Irrespective of these three court orders,
my client is being detained by the DSS,
especially when he is not supposed to be
in that custody. Once he had been
arraigned, before a court of law, the
practice is that he should be taken to the
Nigerian Prisons, which have the
prerogative power to keep prisoners. As
it stands now, the liberty of my client is
in issue and his continued violation,
contrary to a subsisting court order. We
are making this to say, that the law is
sacrosanct in a democratic setting,
where you have the three arms of
government. Each of these arms of
government exercises its functions under
the law. The order of court under a
democratic setting must be obeyed.”
Continuing, he said, “It is not in the
interest of this nascent democracy that
court judgments are not obeyed. The
question now is if the DSS cannot obey a
court order at this preliminary stage, it
presupposes that my client has been
found guilty and that is, he cannot enjoy
his liberty pending the adjourned date. I
call on well meaning Nigerians, those
who love democracy tenets to enjoin the
DSS to obey.