November 10, (THEWILL) – Bruce Fein, a United States of America-based lawyer and counsel to detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has threatened to push for sanctions against Nigeria over alleged human rights abuses. .
Fein, who spoke shortly after the trial of Kanu was adjourned to Jan 19, 2022 by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, alleged compromise in the trial of Kanu Abuja.
He also threatened to take Nigeria to the international court over alleged human rights abuses.
Kanu is standing trial on an amended seven-count criminal charge bordering on alleged terrorism and treasonable felony.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him last month, consequent upon which Justice Nyako had adjourned to November 10, 2021, for hearing of Kanu’s application challenging the competence of the charge, as well as the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
Although Kanu was brought into the courtroom on Wednesday, however, the day’s proceedings stalled when his lawyers staged a walkout of the courtroom.
The walkout was predicated on the refusal of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow some of them access into the courtroom.
Speaking with journalists outside the court’s premises, Fein claimed that today was the fifth time he has been prevented from entering the courtroom despite the court’s previous orders that Kanu be granted access to any three persons he wants to.
“I had the chance to talk briefly to him on my way to the courtroom. It is clear that I am the target in particular. That’s the reason why this proceeding did not transpire today.
“And I’m here to tell Nigerians and the international community that I’m taking this to international tribunals. It is clear that the Nigerian tribunals are compromised.
“The international working group on arbitrary detention in Geneva, the International Court of Justice in the Hague, and I’ll be going to the United States Congress and urging that sanctions be considered against Nigeria for gross violations of fundamental human rights”, he said.
While claiming that he was in court not to be an irritant, he said that there are huge international law issues that are present in Nnamdi Kanu’s case.
“I’m here because I’m an international expert to provide more enlightenment on what legal issues are present here.
“What happened in the court today is the height of travesty of justice. We have more than 50 lawyers who are here in solidarity so we were outside trying to resolve it.
“When we came to the court, they still insisted that they could not allow the maximum of five persons to have access to the court. And there is space in the court for us to sit. We were still trying to resolve it when the judge came in and we were all locked out”, ⁷Fein said.
The US lawyer added that when the attention of the court was drawn to the fact that they were outside the court protesting about what happened, the court rather than calling attention of the lead counsel to find out what was going on, went ahead to discuss with Kanu.
However, Ejiofor speaking with journalists stated that Kanu’s lawyers did not walk out on the court but were prevented by security operatives from accessing the courtroom.
Just like in previous trials, the court premises were taken over by a combined team of security operatives including the DSS, Police, Army, NSCDC and the Navy.
Also, all roads connecting the Federal High Court were also cordoned off, causing heavy gridlock and undue hardship on commuters, who have to trek long distances to their various destinations.
Businesses around the court areas were also shut before and during the period of the trial.
Kanu was in June this year re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to the country to face his trial.
He was first arrested in a Lagos Hotel in 2015 by operatives of the DSS and was arraigned alongside four others in 2016.
Meanwhile, Kanu is challenging his re-arraignment and trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on the grounds that the said charge did not in any way have any link to the said offences; and that the alleged offences were also said to be committed in the United Kingdom, amongst others.
