Biafra: for Buhari, the fear of ECOWAS court is the beginning of wisdom

By Tim Tochukwu

For Biafra Choice Writers

Events of the past days show that for Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian evil President and his goons at the Department of State Security Service (DSS), the fear of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court is the beginning of wisdom.

Few days ago, men of the DSS was supposed to be at ECOWAS Court to argue the case of human rights abuse instituted against them by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). But they stayed away. They claimed they had to attend to another case (a local case in Kaduna State). But it was apparent they were running away from the stark reality of the atrocities they had committed against Kanu and his IPOB colleagues. Indeed, it was a development many public affairs commentators referred to as a case of “smoke-screening an important case with an insignificant one”.

For informed Biafrans, and Nigerians alike, they knew it would be an uphill task for the Buhari junta to defend its atrocious actions before the ECOWAS Court. They knew that going to that court would mean explaining to the world how possibly an individual could commit treason, as one of their trumped up charges indicated. 

They knew the world would describe them as insane people if they were to get to the ECOWAS court to argue that self-determination was illegal. Would they say that the UN 2007 Right of Indigenous Peoples is no longer valid, for which the UN has recognized IPOB?

How would they explain to the court that Spain, even Britain, was stupid for not putting behind bars, those campaigning for separation in their countries? Will they tell the court that Kanu’s call for referendum in settling the issue of Biafra was a crime in Nigeria? There was also the case of Buhari claiming on national television that Kanu had two passports, would the lawyers tell the ECOWAS Court that they did not know that both the British and Nigerian law approves it.

Indeed, the only plausible reason for which the DSS evaded the court was the fact that they could not stand the shame of inevitable defeat in court. Secondly, they knew how impossible it would be to bribe and tilt judgment in their favour as they are wont to do in Nigeria. Come to think of it, combating corruption was a major reason the ECOWAS Court was established.

It is obvious that the intention was to buy time, to see if they could find better ways to corrupt the court. Already, they have set the stage for avoiding the court on October 8, the next date in court. Buhari have just arm-twisted the Justice Department to fix its case of treason against Kanu on the same date. Expectedly, the DSS will evade the ECOWAS trial on that date and would not bring the Biafran leader to the court on that day, with claims that they were attending the local trial.

They are wasting their time, and will fail, especially as the ECOWAS Court gave notice during its last sitting that would deliver judgment on the case come November 8, notwithstanding whether any of the parties attend the trial or not.