Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday gave an insight on how the Department of State Services denied him and other lawyers access to their client twice.
According to him, the DSS on February 17 and 21 turned back the lawyers on the excuse that officials meant to receive them were not around.
Kanu is facing trial before Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged treason.
Ejiofor, in a statement titled, ‘Update on our aborted routine visit to our client by the Department of State Services’, described the action of the secret police as appalling and disobedience to a court order.
He said, “Consistent with our routine, we were at the DSS headquarters today (Monday), to observe the court-ordered visit to our dear client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. But, for the second time after the last court sitting, we were bluntly denied access to our client by the personnel of the DSS.
“This development is appalling and condemnable, because there was no plausible reason(s) proffered for this violent affront to a court order.”
Ejiofor recalled that the order made by Justice Nyako about routine visits to Kanu was unequivocal and clear that such visits should be conducted on Mondays and Thursdays between the hours of 2pm and 4pm.
He said, “During our visit to Onyendu last week Thursday, being February 17, 2022, in observance of this court sanctioned visit, the personnel of the DSS turned us back, insisting that the officials assigned to receive us were not available.
“The same flimsy reason was given today, February 21 2022, for denying us access to Onyendu in deliberate and flagrant disobedience to court orders.”
Ejiofor, however, called on the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court to endorse the contempt charges filed against the DSS, saying failure to do so meant the court was taking sides with the DSS.
He said, “With the foregoing, if the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, fails and/or refuses to endorse the relevant contempt forms filed against the Director-General of the DSS for the gross disobedience to positive orders of court, as he has done in the past, then, it will become obvious to the world that the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is actively protecting the contemnors.
“Orders of court must be obeyed to the letter and must not only be respected, but must be treated with sanctity. Sadly, this has become a joke taken too far!
“We, therefore, wish to use this medium to place the world on notice that the DSS should be held responsible should anything untoward happen to our client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, during this period they are hoarding him from us.
“We shall continue to keep the world abreast of every unfolding event as the DSS continues to thread on this ignominious path.”