Ohanaeze kicks as Kanu gets bail on health grounds

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra , Nnamdi Kanu, on health grounds .
Justice Binta Nyako, however , barred the IPOB leader from granting press interview while on bail.
The judge also gave a stern warning to the defendant not to participate in any rally or be found in a crowd of more than 10 persons in the course of the bail.
Justice Nyako ordered that she must be given a monthly report on the defendant ’ s health status.
She , however , refused the separate bail applications filed by the IPOB leader ’ s co - defendants .
The accused persons charged along with Kanu and who were denied bail by the judge were the National Coordinator of IPOB , Mr . Chidiebere Onwudiwe ; an IPOB member , Benjamin Madubugwu; and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the MTN , David Nwawuisi .
After the judge struck out six out of the 11 counts preferred against the defendants on March 1 , 2017 , the defendants were left with five charges including conspiracy to commit treasonable felony by allegedly conspiring among themselves to broadcast on Radio Biafra , agitating for the secession of Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.
They were also accused of treasonable felony , improper importation of goods , illegal possession of firearms and publication of defamatory matter by allegedly referring to the then ‘ Maj. -Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) and now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ‘ a paedophile , a terrorist , an idiot, and an embodiment of evil ’ in a broadcast on Radio Biafra on April 28 , 2015 .
Kanu, who had been in detention since 2015 , was granted bail on Tuesday following the application filed by his lawyer , Ifeanyi Ejiofor , after part of the charges filed against them were struck out by the court .
Justice Nyako noted that she had observed that Kanu was always sitting down in the dock whenever he appeared in court , a development which she said could be an indication that he could be suffering from an ailment that could not be treated in prison.
She , therefore , granted bail in the sum of N 100 m with three sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that one of the sureties to be provided by the defendant must be a highly placed person such as a senator.
She directed that the other must be a highly recognised leader in the religion being practised by Kanu.
When asked by the judge the kind of religion he practised , Kanu said he was practising Judaism .
Meanwhile , Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and a former Aviation Minister , Osita Chidoka , were at the Federal High Court in Abuja to solidarise with Kanu on Tuesday .
Fayose was already seated in the courtroom for over 30 minutes before Kanu and his co - accused were produced in court by prison officials at about 10 . 05 am on Tuesday .
The governor was decked in red attire with a red cap typical of Igbo culture .
When Kanu arrived in the courtroom , his attention was drawn by his lawyers to Fayose who was said to be waiting for him .
Fayose stood up and had a hug with the Biafra nation agitator .
After some minutes the governor crossed over the aisle to take a seat beside Kanu.
They had a brief chat before Fayose returned to his original seat .
The governor remained in court throughout the proceedings .
Kanu’ s lawyer , Mr . Ifeanyi Ejiofor , said his client would meet the bail conditions within 48 hours .
“ As a leader of nation, the bail conditions are not too strigent for him . I can assure you that within 48 hours he will meet the bail conditions. People are ready to sign on his behalf , ” the lawyer said .
Meanwhile , the apex socio- political organisation of the Igbo , Ohanaeze Ndigbo , has condemned Nnamdi Kanu’ s bail conditions.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo , Chief Nnia Nwodo , described the conditions as ‘ unfair’ and ‘ unconstitutional’ .
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone , Nwodo said , “ The bail conditions are very , very unfair and I wonder whether they can stand in law because they violate his (Kanu’ s ) fundamental human rights .
“ The conditions that he should not be in a gathering where there are more than 10 people and that he should not grant interviews violate
his freedom of association and freedom of speech .
“ The courts cannot impose bail conditions which are unconstitutional .
“ All the same, we pray that the prison authorities release him because he has been granted bail in the past .
“ Even as we celebrate that he has been granted a bail, we still ask what they are trying him for because he did nothing wrong . He should not even
be in court in the first place.
“ Boko Haram members are walking freely all over the place. ”
Kanu’ s lawyer , Mr . Ifeanyi Ejiofor , said his client would meet the bail conditions within 48 hours .
“ As a leader of a nation, the bail conditions are not too stringent for him . I can assure you that within 48 hours he will meet the bail conditions. People are ready to sign on his behalf , ” the lawyer said .