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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has distanced itself from a controversial comment by its vice president, John Aikpokpo-Martins, on Nnamdi Kanu.
Last week, the Federal High Court ordered that the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) be kept in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Kanu was arraigned years after he skipped court bail in 2017. He faces charges of treason.
In reaction, Aikpokpo-Martins reportedly declared that President Muhammadu Buhari was constitutionally bound to “crush” the secessionists.
The choice of the word aroused the anger of Biafra supporters and others in favor of the separatist movements in Nigeria.
In a statement, NBA President Olamide Apata revealed that he has received numerous requests from members and the public.
“The opinions expressed by the 1st vice-president are his personal opinions which he published on his Facebook account during an online exchange, and that said opinions do not represent the position of the NBA on the subject,” a he noted.
Apata said that as an association founded to defend the rule of law, the NBA will continue to defend and defend the rights of every Nigerian citizen and group.
He stressed that they have the right to demonstrate peacefully, to make legal demands recognized by the Nigerian constitution or international charters applicable in Nigeria, and the right to benefit from the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise by a court in a free and fair trial.
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