Mazi Nnamdi KANU, Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),during a court session argued why he can not be tried in any court in Nigeria.
He revealed this on Monday 20th May, 2024 after the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed his request for bail or to be moved from the Department of State Services custody to a prison or house arrest.
According to him, Section 2, Subsection 3F of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 prevents any court of law in the country from trying him.
His words,“In this Act, “act of terrorism” means an act wilfully performed with the intention of furthering an ideology, whether political, religious, racial, or ethnic, and which; may seriously harm or damage a country or an international organisation; unduly compels a government or an international organisation to perform or abstain from performing any act; seriously intimidates a population; seriously destabilizes or destroys the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organisation; influences a government or an international organisation by intimidation or coercion; violates the provisions of any international treaty or resolution to which Nigeria is a party, subject to the provisions of section 12 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”
Kanu stressed that any court that attempted to try him will be committing terrorism because according to him, “Terrorism Prohibition and Prevention Act said I cannot be tried in Nigeria. That is the law of Nigeria. I can never be tried in any court of law in Nigeria. That is what the law says.
“Anyone standing in trial or coming to try me is a terrorist. That is what the law says, not me. Section 2, Subsection 3F of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, that is what it says”.
He stressed on the fact that any Nigerian Court that tries to try him will be committing an act of terrorism, adding that it is the reason his case is being delayed.
