The legal team of Nnamdi Kanu has threatened legal action against a man, Chigozie Nnabugwu, who called on the Nigerian government to kill Mr Kanu as the only remedy to restore peace in the South-east.
Aloy Ejimakor, the special counsel to Mr Kanu, disclosed this in a statement which he posted on his X handle on Tuesday.
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Mr Kanu is the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and currently serving his life imprisonment in Sokoto prison following his conviction in November last year.
He has, however, filed an appeal against his conviction before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
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IPOB, a group seeking secession of the South-east and South-south from Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions.
While appearing as a guest on News Central TV on Monday, Mr Nnabugwu, who hailed from Imo State, noted that insecurity has reduced in the South-east since Mr Kanu and another pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, were arrested and convicted for terrorism.
He then went ahead to argue that if the federal government should kill Mr Kanu, “normalcy” would return to the region.
Mr Nnabugwu’s comments had elicited condemnations from various Nigerians, particularly on social media, with many describing his call as harsh and reckless.
‘It’s reckless, irresponsible’
Reacting in the Tuesday statement, Mr Ejimakor, who uploaded a clip of the TV programme on the microblogging platform, argued that the remarks were a call for extrajudicial killing of the IPOB leader.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team hereby strongly condemns the statement made by one Mr Chigozie Nnabugwu on News Central TV, in which he publicly urged the Government of Nigeria to kill our client for ‘normalcy to return to the Southeast,’” Mr Ejimakor said.
The special counsel described the comments as reckless, irresponsible and capable of inciting violence.
“To be sure, this call for extrajudicial killing is reckless, irresponsible, and unlawful. And it constitutes a clear threat to life and risks inciting a breakdown of public order,” he stated.
The lawyer contended that the remarks were in violation of the provisions of the Cybercrimes Act (2024).
“The call strains the boundaries set under Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the knowing or intentional transmission of messages via electronic means, including those amplified on broadcast platforms and social media, that pose a threat to life or are intended to cause a breakdown of law and order,” he said.
Mr Ejimakor stressed that offence carries up to N7 million fine or up to three years imprisonment, pointing out that additional criminal liabilities could arise under the Criminal Code for incitement to violence and related offences.
The lawyer criticised the television station for providing a platform for “inflammatory comments” against Mr Kanu.
“By airing and platforming this inflammatory content without due regard for its potential to incite violence or threaten public peace, News Central TV may face regulatory sanctions for breach of broadcast codes on incitement and public order,” he stated.
‘Retract, apologise or face legal action’
Mr Ejimakor argued that Mr Nnabugwu’s call for Mr Kanu’s execution while court proceedings concerning him remain pending before the Court of Appeal amounted to interference with the judicial process.
“Demanding an extrajudicial execution while legal proceedings remain before the court directly subverts the judicial process and potentially constitutes actionable contempt of court,” he said.
The special counsel said the legal team has demanded apology and retraction from Mr Nnabugwu and the News Central TV for the remarks and the publication, saying the team considers the press statement as a pre-action notice to them if they failed to retract.
“We hereby demand that Mr Chigozie Nnabugwu issue an immediate public retraction of his statement, and that the New Central TV tender an unqualified televised apology for airing such dangerous content,” he stated.
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