A lawmaker representing Onitsha North I state constituency in the Anambra state House of Assembly, ANHA, Hon. Chugbo Enwezor has said the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, or the bereaved families of those killed by security agencies during protests, have the legal rights to sue the federal government for murder and claim damages.
Enwezor, Chairman of the Anambra House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, also stressed that security agents cannot kill people except there is a court order to that effect.
In a chat with journalists on Wednesday at his law firm in Onitsha, the lawmaker said there was no law that says IPOB members cannot protest for restoration of Biafra, or that anybody must obtain permission to embark on peaceful protest.
He noted that the police can only arrest the protesters if in the course of their demonstration they commit an offence.
According to him, it was quite unlawful and undemocratic for soldiers, the police or other security agents to open fire on those agitating for self determination because protest is a part of democracy.
Likewise, the traditional prime minister of Igboland (Onowu Igbo), Chief Michael Ozua Okoye has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to leave the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu alone, based on the previous court orders.
The traditional prime minister said since Kanu did not shoot anybody or stage any war against the government, but rather acted based on what he read in the book about self determination, he should be allowed to go and cater for his family.
Okoye, who spoke to newsmen in Onitsha, described Kanu as a true son of Igbo.
He said, “God will bring Biafra by Himself, so, Kanu should endure what we and Ojukwu endured before, during and after the civil war.”
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