Abaribe Blames Buratai For Nnamdi Kanu’s Disappearance

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia, PDP) has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the unknown whereabouts of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu was caused by the “whimsical, capricious, subversive and extra-judicial self-help” embarked upon by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

He said the Chief of Army Staff was aware of the pending charges against Kanu when he allegedly deployed soldiers to “forcefully and violently” invade the IPOB leader’s home in Afaraukwu Ibeku-Umuahia, in Abia State on September 14, 2017

In a fresh motion filed by his counsel, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN) before the court, Abaribe accused Buratai of frustrating his role as a surety for the bail granted to Kanu by the court.

When Abaribe earlier filed a motion seeking to be discharged as Kanu’s surety, the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, ruled on October 17 that the senator could not withdraw his surety-ship until Kanu was produced before the court, thus ordering him to explain the IPOB leader’s whereabouts.

He said he opted to be Kanu’s surety out of “patriotic consideration of assisting the judicial process to defuse the tension already generated in the polity”.

While Abaribe was present in court yesterday, Kanu, who is being prosecuted alongside others on charges bordering on treasonable felony, was absent for the second time after the alleged invasion of his home in Abia State by soldiers on September 14, since when he had been declared missing by his family.

In the fresh motion, Abaribe asked the court to grant an order directing the Chief of Army Staff to explain to the court why the Attorney-General of the Federation should not “be compelled to initiate contempt charges/proceedings against him for his extra-judicial self-help conducts”.

He also asked the court to order the payment of N10m to him for the psychological trauma he has gone through following the extra-judicial self-help actions of the Army Chief of Staff.

At the resumed sitting yesterday, Justice Nyako did not sit due to the Judges conference she was attending in Abuja and the matter was thereafter adjourned to December 5th for hearing.