BY ADOLPHUS DURU
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Lead Counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Wednesday, held crucial meeting with Igbo leaders in the United States of America on how to secure freedom for the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, following the refusal of the Federal Government to release him despite court judgments ordering his immediate release.
Chief Ozekhome, SAN, had during the meeting in Atlanta, briefed the delegation of Igbo leaders on his efforts and other members of the legal team to secure freedom for Kanu who has been detained at the headquarters of the Department of Security Services, DSS, since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya on June 21, 2021.
He recounted how he was engaged to join Kanu’s legal team on the request of the IPOB Leader himself, and assured the delegation of his preparedness to fight with everything in him to ensure Kanu got justice.
Ozekhome praised the efforts of Ifeanyi Ejimofor who had been handling Kanu’s case before his (Ozekhome’s) recruitment, describing Ejimofor as ” one of Nigeria’s young and most brilliant lawyers”.
Frontline Reporters reliably gathered from a source present at the meeting that Ozekhome and the Igbo leader had “very fruitful deliberations”.
The source said that the leaders were very impressed with the efforts off
On the way forward, Ozekhome expressed faith that Kanu would get justice at the Supreme Court where his matter is currently pending.
In a video clip of the meeting obtained by our Correspondent, Ozekhome reiterated his call for Kanu’s release, insisting that it will help restore peace to the South East, and not trigger crisis contrary to insinuations in some quarters.
His words: ” We are at the Supreme Court, and it will right the wrong because nobody will intimidate the Supreme court.
” They will have to do something so that Nigeria will not disintegrate.
” I have told the court that releasing Nnamdi Kanu will not break the South East or bring unrest in the zone. Rather, that is what will calm South East.
” This is because the day the Court of Appeal delivered its judgement ordering his release, there was spontaneous jubilation from Aba to Umuahia; Onitsha to Nnewi; Isiagu to Abakaliki; Orlu to Owerri, and the entire zone even in Lagos and Abuja and other parts of Nigeria.
” So, I told the court that: If you want to have peaceful election, and peace in the South East, and by extension, Nigeria, then release Nnamdi Kanu “
In a remark, President Emeritus, Igbo Association in US, Chief Tony Okpara, commended Ozekhome and other members of Kanu’s legal team for their resilience and doggedness in defending the efforts in defending the IPOB Leader.
Responding to a question on what keeps him awake at night, Ozekhome said:” What keeps me awake is festering injustice that has not been dealt with.”
Continuing he said:”What gives me peace of mind is fighting and crushing tyranny. But I can’t sleep when there is festering injustice.
” When I see injustice or impunity and I don’t fight it either because of monetary or safety considerations, I lose my sleep.”
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