t’s wrong to ban IPOB- say NBA, civil society

By irohin oodua

A human rights group, Access to Justice has faulted the ban on Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB) by the Nigerian authorities. In a similar vein, the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Ikeja branch also described the proscription as illegal.

The NBA asked the FG to follow laid down procedures of law in handling the issue of IPOB at a Press Conference addressed by its Chairman, Mr Adesina Ogunlana on Wednesday. The two opinions were made available to Irohinoodua on Wednesday.

He said “After a due consideration of the fairly veritable facts of the matter the NBA Ikeja – for the records – state as follows:“Freedom of association is the inalienable rights of all human beings, including citizens of Nigeria. “The demand for a separate country or nation from Nigeria as presently constituted is legitimate and not criminal.

“The existence of Nigeria as one indissoluble component, in law cannot be made compulsory on citizens of Nigeria. “All government in Nigeria at all levels are under legal and moral obligation even above citizens to obey the law of the land and all part of international law binding on her.

Adesina concluded by impelling the FG to have a rethink on the deployment of soldiers to the South-East.

Also in a statement issued by its Access to Justice, A2J, the Deputy Director, Dr. Adenike Aiyedun, said the Nigerian Army has no legitimate right to declare any organization a terrorist a group. It reads, “Characterising IPOB as a terrorist organisation will likely incite hatred and antagonism against its members, and instigate security and law enforcement agencies to launch and inflict violence against them, while conditioning some members of the public to think that all members of IPOB are indeed defined by that characterisation.