By Joseph Albert (Umunna TV)
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has reiterated displeasure over what it termed “deliberate, permanent and insidious psychological torture being committed” against its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement available to newsmen, IPOB warned that what Kanu is being subjected to in DSS confinement is in contravention of UNHRC and all other International Human Rights laws and principles.
The statement signed by IPOB Spokesman, Emma Powerful, claimed that DSS agents have continued to flout and violate existing court orders strictly given by Justice Binta Nyako concerning the welfare of Kanu, who he described as “high profile prisoner of conscience”.
The statement reads in parts, “There abound obvious and utter disregard by DSS on the existing laws and thereby, consistently flouting the court ruling that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves an interface with fellow human. Solitary confinement is a torture under UN Law. Justice Binta made a Court Order that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should be visited twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays by his lawyers, family members and visitors of his choice. We want to make it known to all and sundry that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is now being allowed to see his visitors for only 30 minutes in contravention of the competent court Order that approved 2 hours per visit by his lawyers and family members”.
IPOB urged DSS to abide by stipulated Court Orders and procedures in handling all matters associated with its leader, Kanu, in order “to minimise unforseen circumstantial consequences should anything goes wrong”.
Details:
“We are making a public call and open invitation to the International Community, Amnesty International, Embassies, Governments, Intersocity and NGOs including all reputable Human Rights Organisations to monitor the gross violation of all known fundamental human rights of the Leader of IPOB and all other illegally incarcerated IPOB members in Nigeria. It’s no doubt that Biafrans especially Igbos race and their religious worshippers are racially profiled and discriminated against in Nigeria by DSS. That’s is why notorious terrorists and bandits from the North can kill and commits all sorts of crimes and never get arrested but innocent and unarmed Biafrans especially Igbos including old men and women are indiscriminately arrested, tortured, incarcerated and forcefully disapered without trace by this lawless DSS and their sister security agents.
“International Humanitarian Law,
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 8 June 1977 contain a number of provisions that absolutely prohibits torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment that DSS mated on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other individuals especiall IPOB members.
For example, torture is prohibited under Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions, Article 12 of the First and Second Conventions, Articles 17 and 87 of the Third Convention, Article 32 of the Fourth Convention, Article 75 (2 a & e) of Additional Protocol I and Article 4 (2 a & h) of Additional Protocol II. In international armed conflict, torture constitutes a grave breach under Articles 50, 51, 130 and 147 respectively of these Conventions. Under Article 85 of Additional Protocol I, these breaches constitute war crimes. In non-international armed conflict, they are considered serious violations.
In addition, Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions, Article 75 (2 b & e) of Additional Protocol I and Article 4 (2 a & h) of Additional Protocol II prohibit “outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment”
The Fulani DSS Director must know that Nigeria is not a Fulani property and cannot be.
If anything goes wrong with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria’s DSS solitary confinement or custody they will know that IPOB members are not push over, and the consequences will leave for generations.
Men and women of good conscience and lovers of humanity across the world should advise the Igbophobic, Biafraphobic and Nnamdiphobic Nigeria Agencies against future irreparable consequences that awaits the younger generation.
May we reemphasize that we’ll not accept any stage-managed attack by DSS agents targeted at Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we have earlier pointed out such stunt upon reception of Intel by M-Branch.
Using the brand names of your diverse industries (Terrorists/Bandits) interchangeably upon every state-sponsored terror activities is no longer fashionable and not accepted to us as well as to the International Community. We want the Fulani Government to understand that Nigerians and the world understand your game; you own the terrorists, you own the Bandits, you own the Herdsmen, you own the Unknown solders and Unknown Gunmen.
The Global Community should take note of the atrocities being perpetrated against our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU by Nigeria Government and their lawless DSS. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is being tortured in DSS dungeon because he spends four days in Solitary confinement and allowed only 30minutes to relate with humans on Mondays and Thursdays. As against the subsisting Court Order that allowed Mazi Nnamdi KANU to stay up to 2 hours with his visitors, DSS no longer allow his visitors to stay with him longer than 30 minutes on each visiting day. How do DSS want Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers to interact with their clients for 30 minutes over ongoing cases? As in the tradition of this Fulani Government and their lawless DSS, the Court approved time has been illegally changed in breach of the Court Order without due process. This flagrant abuse of Court Orders and dehumanization of our Leader is not acceptable and must be stopped going forward.
COMRADE EMMA POWERFUL MEDIA AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY FOR IPOB.