The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticized Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over his remark that “the defendant will need to explain certain things” in the ongoing trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued by IPOB’s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group described the judge’s comment as a violation of constitutional principles, accusing the court of aiding government persecution rather than upholding justice.
“Explain certain things like what?” IPOB queried, stressing that Section 36(11) of the 1999 Constitution forbids compelling any defendant to testify against themselves. The group added that the burden of proof rests entirely on the prosecution, not the accused.
According to IPOB, Justice Omotosho’s suggestion effectively seeks to compel Kanu to cover for what it described as a weak case built on contradictory witnesses, lack of investigation reports, and reliance on a repealed law.
“This remark exposes the reality of Abuja courts: their first duty is not to justice, but to the government. By demanding that our Leader ‘explain,’ Justice Omotosho is not applying the law; he is aiding persecution,” the statement read.
The group reaffirmed its position that Kanu is innocent and that his continued detention represents a breach of both Nigerian and international law. It urged the judiciary to halt what it called a “charade of shifting the burden onto an innocent man whose only ‘crime’ is demanding self-determination for his people.”
