By Francesca Hangeior

The National Judicial Council has disclaimed reports that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has been released and repatriated back to Kenya.

NJC in a statement signed by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe, on Thursday in Abuja, emphasised that the purported report is a fabrication and a figment of the writers’ imagination.

The council clarified that while the release is attributed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, there is no court decision from her to substantiate the claim.

Kanu is currently facing a seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.

He was first arrested on October 14, 2015, following his return to Nigeria from the UK. He was later granted bail in 2017 on health grounds after being detained at the Kuje Correctional Facility.

However, Kanu jumped bail and returned to the United Kingdom. He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria, where he has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services till date.

Kanu’s trial, which was briefly stalled due to his demand for a change in his trial judge, is set to continue on Friday, March 21, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The statement read, “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to media reports that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Council, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, has ordered the release of the detained Nnamdi Kanu and his repatriation to Kenya.

“The council wishes to state that the media report is false and a figment of the writer’s imagination, as there are no court proceedings, decisions, or judgments where such statements ascribed to His Lordship were made.

“The council categorically emphasizes that the Hon. CJN neither presided over any case involving Kanu at the apex court, where jurisdiction issues were argued, nor made any such pronouncement.”

The council added that the CJN never wrote any formal letter to the Kenyan Government or High Commission apologising for the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu or his trial. It urged members of the public to disregard the fake story.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Seven notorious Boko Haram members have surrendered to troops of the Multinational Joint Taskforce in Borno State.

A statement on Wednesday by the Chief Military Information Officer of the MNJTF, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said the effort was facilitated by Multinational Joint Task Force, operating under Sector 3 Mongunu.

Boko Haram suspects
According to the statement, the terrorists who have been operating in the Damasak axis of the state laid down their arms to embrace peace.

The statement reads in part, “In a significant breakthrough in the fight against terrorism in the Lake Chad Region, troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), operating under Sector 3 Mongunu, have successfully facilitated the surrender of 7 suspected notorious Boko Haram terrorists with large cache of arms who have been active in the Damasak axis of Borno State, Nigeria.”

He said, “The suspected Boko Haram terrorists identified as Mallam Baba Ibrahim (19), Malam Bamai Ali (20), Mallam Jundu Ali (19), Mallam Abba Ali (25), Mallam Abubakar Mohammed (20), Tijjani Ali (20 yrs) and Mallam Ali Mommudu (25) voluntarily turned themselves into MNJTF troops at Walada village in Damasak after sustained offensive operation by own troops.”

Recovered items
He stated that suspected terrorists confessed to having been involved in numerous terrorist activities across Northern Borno.

They expressed their exhaustion with the conflict,though they previously feared they will be killed if they surrendered,” he added

The substantial arms cache and equipment surrendered by the suspected terrorists included 2 RPG tubes, 4 RPG bombs, an AK-47 rifle, an HK 21 German machine gun, and 8 empty magazines. Additionally, they handed over 2 horses, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 715 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 51 NATO rounds, 12 mobile phones, 6 small solar panels, 2 bandoliers, and 4 knives, among other items. The former insurgents are now providing valuable intelligence to the MNJTF.”

Recovered arms
Osoba urged other terrorists to follow suit and surrender their arms in exchange for peace.

“The MNJTF wishes to encourage other terrorists to take this opportunity to surrender as laying down arms is a crucial step towards achieving lasting peace in the Lake Chad Region,” he said

He reiterated the MNJTF’s commitment to dismantling terrorist networks and restoring stability throughout the area.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to show cause why the mandate of the Chief Dan Orbih led South-South zonal executive should not be upheld.

Justice I Ekwo gave the order upon a motion ex-parte filed by Chief Orbih and his 22-member zonal executive against the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and members of the caretaker zonal executive as announced by the PDP national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologundagba.

Justice Ekwo in the 5-point order also gave an instruction for substituted service on the PDP through a national newspaper and on the national secretariat.

Recall that the order follows the decision of a section of the national leadership to appoint a caretaker executive for the zonal chapter of the party following the zonal congress that produced Chief Orbih.

In their prayers, the plaintiffs are asking among others an order to restrain the 2nd to the 11th defendants or their privies or agents from “invading, breaking into or taking over the offices of the plaintiffs at the South South Zonal Secretariat,” or “howsoever taking any steps to oust the Plaintiffs from their offices, pending the hearing and determination of the Plaintiffs Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”

The plaintiffs are also asking the court for an “order of Injunction directing the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum and not to take any steps to prejudice the hearing and determination of the substantive originating summons before this Honourable Court.”

The court action follows the decision of a section of the National Working Committee, NWC to appoint Chief Emma Ogidi as chairman of a caretaker committee for the South-South Zone of the party despite the zonal congress in Calabar that produced Chief Dan Orbih as zonal chairman.

Orbih and the 21 other members of his zonal committee are plaintiffs while the INEC, PDP are the first and second defendants. Emma Ogidi and other members of the caretaker committee as appointed by the NPS are the 3rd to 9th defendants, the PDP acting national chairman, Amb Iliya Damagun is the 10th defendant while Hon Ologunagba is the 11th defendant.