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Thursday 10 March 2016

ABUJA: LIVE INTERVIEW WITH BARRISTER IFEANYI EJIOFOR BY BIAFRA WRITERS/BTV CREW ON 09-03-2016 AFTER COURT SESSION

ABUJA:
LIVE INTERVIEW WITH BARRISTER IFEANYI EJIOFOR BY BIAFRA WRITERS/BTV CREW ON 09-03-2016  AFTER COURT SESSION

Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor counsel to Nnamdi Kanu granted an interview to Biafra Writers and Biafra Television Correspondents in Abuja after the court proceedings on the 9th of March, 2016. This is how it happened.

Biafra Writers: Good day Sir. We are pressmen from Biafra Writers and we are glad to have you. And we can see you are brightened up. It seems there is a positive out come today?

Ejiofor: Well actually we have every cause to be happy because we are not moving at their pace we're moving at our own pace. We want them to move at our own pace... because their plans and designs is to do everything humanly possible to convict our client...as soon as possible and we are trying to see how to correct it

Biafra Writers: Okay the last court sitting, I think on the 7th of March.
The decision of the Court was really Or rather it aroused several discussions both here in Nigeria and abroad, So what do you think is the position of the judge in respect of his previous decision?

Ejiofor: Actually we are taken aback because I have never seen such a thing in my years of practice as a lawyer.  The court on the  19th day of February made an order based on the application they brought before the court to hear our client en-camera to bring in masquerades to come and testify as human beings
And this application we vehemently opposed and the court upheld our objection and granted them relief 1 2 & 3
The relief 1 borders on the names and addresses  of the prosecution witnesses. The names and addresses of the prosecution witnesses will not be fed to the record of the court for security reasons. Relief 3 has to do with them coming in through unconventional ways and doors, which we have no objection in so far as they are coming to give testimonies before the court and we see them, ask them questions, we don't have problems with that
So we are taken aback when this man came out on the 7th of March  and they orally applied to the court to vary the order the court made in the 19th of February.
It is strange in our practice because if you are uncomfortable or dissatisfied with an order the court made or the ruling of the court, what you need to do is to go to a court of appeal
There are few circumstances under which a court can vacate an order made by him and those circumstances is not in existence in this case and there is no reason the court in the first place should grant that application orally.  Because if you see the effort made by the court to smuggle in giving testimony by witnesses behind the screen, relying heavily on relief 3, you will notice that  a thorough look at  relief 3, there is nothing like screen or giving testimonies behind the screen which the court granted. So trying to smuggle in giving testimonies behind the screen to make it part of relief 3 is what we objected. And it will  amounts to a court sitting on an appeal. And as it stands now there's an appeal against that order in the court of appeal now

Biafra Writers: Okay...the judge made reference to an event in Ivory coast, can you throw more light on that?

Ejiofor: In the course of the proceedings, the court embarked on a  fluoric of its own.....because you don't adopt somebody's legal system or what is obtainable in francophone country legal system to our own legal system...which we are able to explain to the court, cus it's not applicable in our own system. So the court is on his own as far as that is concerned and it has no application with our business before the court

Biafra Writers: So what is the Court's decision today?

Ejiofor: Ohh, in this type of case, you have to be on the ground and work assiduously day and night to make sure you give your client the best of your services.
The court was prepared this morning to take their witnesses behind the screen as directed last week
But only yesterday we filled a notice of appeal to stand against that order and this morning we filled an application for stay of proceedings pending the resolution of the application before the court of appeal and that application was served on the prosecution this morning. And based on the issues raised in the application before the court of appeal, the court has to wait for the outcome of the appeal before the court of appeal

Biafra Writers: So was the defendants in court today?

Ejiofor: Yes, he came

Biafra Writers: How did he feel?

Ejiofor: He was happy, apparently he was happy

Biafra Writers: We equally heard in the last court on the 7th, issues about threat to your life.

Ejiofor: There was obviously an issue between us and some members of the DSS...you know over zealousness
There was this issue that members of public be allowed to come into the the court. And that order has not been vacated I made it known to them and the order was well explained to them. Members of IPOB to come in, families of the defendants to come in and be part of the proceedings, until when the courtroom is filled to the brim, that's when you the court could say stop coming in. But I was shocked when we have only about 8 or 10 people inside the court and the seats were empty and I went down stairs to ask them to allow more people come in and they started insulting me. At a point one of them threatened to kill me
This issue was raised to the court and in their usual way, took note of it and never even cautioned them. You see these are things we meet in our legal practice. He is only interested in protecting the interest of witnesses who are coming to give a tailored evidence...as opposed to a lawyer whose life being threatening

Biafra Writers: So what is your reactions to the actions of the the court toward the threat to your life?

Ejiofor: From the way and manner they are conducting the trial, we are of a firm view that our client will not have a fair trial in this court And one of our relief at the court of appeal is to direct the Honorable CJ to transfer this case to another court for fair hearing

Biafra Writers: Finally Sir, what are your challenges so far

Ejiofor: Well we have no challenges, it's one of those things... A situation whereby people will be flouting the order of the court....at least you are familiar with the case....initially he (my client) was granted bail but never allowed to go on bail
There are many court orders which were disobeyed... When court discharged and acquitted him.... We know of all those things... We know that what is happening around him is more than meet the eyes. We believe in justice and we believe that nothing except justice is going to happen

Biafra Writers: There are million of Biafrans all over the world....most are really optimistic that you can give us positive results at the end of the entire scenario. So what do you have for them??

Ejiofor: I am also hopeful that any moment from now there will be a fruitful results because we have filled application at the court of appeal to ensure they (my clients) are granted bail and once they are on bail the whole scenario will change

Biafra Writers: Okay Sir, we are glad to be with you and we look forward to equally have more audience with you.
We are BIAFRA WRITERS and we appreciate your responses...Thank you

Ejiofor: We need your prayers and encouragement. In this type of struggle we have only to believe in God, Chukwuokike-abhiama because we believe in the truth and I believe God is with us.
Thank you.

From our correspondents-   Okoro Austine and Anyikwa Cynthia Kelechi in Abuja
FOR IPOB

1 comment

  1. Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor is a man of God, very intelligent and a legal bulldozer. With Chukwu Okike on his side, he will deliver. Family Writers more grease on your elbows. You are all Odogwus - Warriors. Keep on keeping up. Well done.

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