The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has expressed gratitude to God over the reversal of the judgment of a High Court convicting the former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu by Supreme Court of Nigeria. ABN TV reports

In a social media post, while demanding that all monies stolen must be returned including what he called nearly 14Billion Aso Rock Clinic looted from 2015 to date, the IPOB leader wondered why the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration has convicted many Christians.

Nnamdi Kanu also demanded the immediate release of the former publicity secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisah Metuh, Joshua Dariye, Jolly Nyame and James Bala Ngilari.

“God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama takes all the glory but I must also say that the moderately reasonable Alimajiri judge that quashed the original conviction should be commended for saving Abba Kyari & the rest of the core north from damaging scrutiny and global shame by #IPOB. Those that ignore our warnings do so at their peril.

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“We have set Orji Uzor Kalu free today and while all reasonable Igbo people are happy, I am also looking forward to hearing the same about Olisah Metuh soon.

“There are other victims of this lopsided prosecution, they are incarcerated and MUST be released until all stolen money by this cabal is accounted for, starting from the nearly 14Billion Aso Rock Clinic they looted from 2015 to date.

“I am calling for an end to selective prosecution and the immediate release of the following people:

Joshua Dariye
Jolly Nyame
James Bala Ngilari

“Until such a time that Nigeria is serious about prosecuting all looters, nobody should be in prison. You cannot be jailing Christians from the Middle Belt and South in the name of fighting corruption while Fulani arch looters are jostling for who will be the next Chief of Staff and in effect de-facto president. Such injustice is what we are against not your fight against corruption” he said.

The former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Supreme Court for reversing his conviction by a Federal High Court in Lagos, saying it is an initial injustice that was caught and ultimately corrected.

Describing it as restoration, Dr Kalu, who is the senator representing Abia North senatorial district in a statement he personally signed on Friday maintained that his is a story of how wrong was righted and how justice and truth prevailed in the end, advising that even though we may not get things right at the first attempt, with patience and dedication, we shall get them right eventually.

ABN TV reports that the Federal lawmaker used the opportunity to express gratitude to family, friends, supporters, people of Abia State for their support and confidence, stating that the last five months have been a profound period for him.

“Today, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave judgment in my favour, quashing the conviction which the lower court had entered against me. By today’s judgment, the Apex court of our dear country affirmed my right to a fair hearing and equal protection of the law.

“The past five months have been quite a profound period for me. As challenging as that period has been, it has provided me with an opportunity to learn invaluable lessons about our country, our peoples, our justice system and the true meaning of love. I mean love for family, love for our country and love for humanity.

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“I want to use this moment to thank my family, my colleagues, my friends, my supporters, the people of Abia State, and all Nigerians for their unflinching and unwavering confidence and trust in me through the very testing period. We all know today that their prayers have not been in vain. I also use this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Nigerian Correctional Service for the unalloyed professionalism and sincere humanity extended to me by its staff while I was in their custody.

“I must accord a special mention to the Justices of our Supreme Court for their unwavering commitment to the rule of law. We all stand reminded of the consistent and strategic relevance of the Nigerian Supreme Court in holding this country together, even in moments of great peril.

“As far back as in the 1971 case of LAKANMI V. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION, (the Ademola Adetikumbo-led Court) the Nigerian Supreme Court has severally rescued this country from the precipice. Also throughout the dark era of military rule in Nigeria, the Supreme Court neither wavered nor flinched in its commitment to justice and fairness.

“And despite some moments of distraction and mass hysteria, the Nigerian Supreme Court has remained the veritable compass to the highest ideals of justice attainable in this country. This long tradition of the court was exemplified in today’s judgment. I was humbled by the court’s boldness and sense of justice as shown in my case.

“Overall, my experience tested and reaffirmed my belief and confidence in our country, Nigeria. My case is a true Nigerian story with a bold MADE-IN-NIGERIA stamp on it. It is a story of initial injustice that was caught and ultimately corrected. It is a story of restoration. It is a story of how wrong was righted and how justice and truth prevailed in the end. It is a story of the power of hope.

“My case should teach us all that even though we may not get things right at the first attempt, with patience and dedication, we shall get them right eventually. That is the lesson of my case and that is the lesson of our country – that with dedication and patience, we shall place Nigeria in its rightful place eventually.

“Before I end, I would like to let it be known that the events of the past five months gave me an added perspective on matters of justice and injustice in Nigeria. I have come to know that the course of justice will not be complete if it stopped in my case.

“It must continue until it touches the lives of millions of Nigerians who face injustice anywhere in this world. I shall be dedicating my time henceforth to ensuring there will be justice for all Nigerians whether they are in Sokoto or Akwa Ibom or in Lagos or Maiduguri or in Jos or Enugu, or wherever they may be. Justice for one man or for a few people will no longer be enough in this country.

“A system whereby over 70% of all prison inmates population is made up of people awaiting trial cannot be allowed to continue. Situations, where innocent people are falsely charged with murder just to get them out of the way, do not dignify our country and cannot continue. Justice must now mean justice for all. That is my pledge to Nigerians.

“I look forward to rejoining my colleagues in the Senate as soon as possible,” he said.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna, has said the state is under pressure to declare that it has COVID-19 cases where there is none.

ABN TV reports that the commissioner made the claims in a statement on Thursday.

He, however, said the state would not succumb to the pressure.

The statement followed a report, which claimed that four persons suspected to be COVID-19 patients had died at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja in the last one week.

He said that as the state commissioner for health, a member of the Governing Board of the FMC Lokoja, and also the incident manager for COVID-19 in the state, he had yet to be informed of any claimed cases.

“There is also a representative of the FMC Lokoja in the state’s squadron against COVID-19 /Lassa fever and never for once was any such case raised in our meetings.

The commissioner alleged that the aim of those putting pressure on the state was to politicise the situation as they are not happy that the current administration has been scored high by local and international observers on health care.

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He added, “First and foremost, it is imperative that the public realise that there is no state government that can deliberately put her people in harm’s way for whatever political reason and the current administration has been scored high by local and international observers on health. We have and will continue to put the health of our people as first priority.

“We have been in an annual fight against Lassa fever as the state is located in the Lassa fever belt, recording several cases with regrettable losses.

“We were first to establish a Biosafety Laboratory for Lassa fever in Nigeria and this year alone we have confirmed 30 cases of Lassa fever that was duly announced. To accuse the state of a cover-up of COVID-19 cases is mischievous and at best politically inclined.”