Lead lawyer for Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, today claimed that over 2000 Igbo youths are in detention in Nigeria.
Ejiofor said todat tgat the youths were picked up by various security agencies including the army, the DSS and the police.
He did not provide details of where the 2000 Igbo youths are being held in detention.
He however said the youths were arrested from locations in five southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
They were picked up on suspicion that they belong to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist movement, he explained.
In addition to defending Nnamdi Kanu, Ejiofor said the legal team has also been working to get the youths freed.
Ejiofor also disclosed that the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, granted the legal team twice a week visiting rights to the Biafran separatist leader.
The legal team will now be meeting with their client on Mondays and Thursdays.
Ejiofor said the Directorate of State Security (DSS) hitherto frustrated efforts to have meetings with Mr. Kanu.
“It took us three or four days before they could allow us to see him each time we made an application to do so,” he said.
He asked supporters of Mr. Kanu who are getting agitated by his non-appearance in court to stay calm as nothing is wrong for now.
People have been wondering if he is sick, if his is okay, since they didn’t see him in court. The anxiety is causing problems in the IPOB camp, the lawyer said.
Ejiofor complained to the, Court on 26 July that DSS was frustrating efforts by Kanu’s family and lawyers to have access to him.
He therefore requested that Kanu be transferred to Kuje Correctional Facility to make it easier to see to him.
The judge however refused to make any orders until he sees the defendant.
Ejiofor later told newsmen that trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, requires special permission to continue the case while courts are on vacation.
The application for the special fiat has been filed with the FCT Chief Judge as requested by Justice Nyako, he said.
She however fixed 21 October 2021 as tentative date of trial, pending decision of the FCT Chief Judge.
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