<\/p>\n
By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,Abuja<\/p>\n
The family of the detained Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu has kicked against an alleged deliberate representation of court proceedings by a section of the media in the terrorism charges against him.<\/p>\n
The family warned those involved in the alleged misrepresentation of proceedings in the on-going criminal trial to desist from misleading and mis-informing the general public in the interest of justice.<\/p>\n
In a statement released in Abuja, the family cited a publication titled \u201cNnamdi Kanu Admitted Inciting Public to Attack Police, Witness Tells Court\u201d as a blatant lie and falsehood to give Kanu a bad name and damage his reputation.<\/p>\n
The statement was signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the immediate younger brother of the detainee.<\/p>\n
To avoid deliberate falsehood against Kanu and misrepresentation of facts, the family pleaded with the authority of the Federal High Court to permit live streaming of the proceedings.<\/p>\n
It read in part, \u201cThe Kanu family strongly condemns the shameful and deliberate misrepresentation of the court proceedings in the ongoing trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as reported by certain media outlets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe article titled \u201cNnamdi Kanu Admitted Inciting Public to Attack Police, Witness Tells Court\u201d is a blatant distortion of the truth, designed to mislead the public and tarnish the global reputation of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis disgraceful journalism reflects a disturbing trend of anti-Biafra and Igbo-hating sentiments that prioritize sensationalism over factual reporting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe resumed hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by the honorable Justice James Omotosho, exposed the prosecution\u2019s weak and embarrassing case.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cross-examination of the prosecution\u2019s witness, PW-AAA from the Department of State Services (DSS), revealed a shocking lack of awareness regarding the charges against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe witness repeatedly admitted ignorance of critical details, including: The filing of a 15-count charge against the defendant and the striking out of several charges by a trial judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe specific allegations of inciting the public to destroy public properties or furthering terrorism by directing attacks on government properties in Lagos.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost notably, when questioned about a charge alleging incitement to destroy government properties, the witness confirmed awareness of the allegation but was unaware that the court had struck it out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis testimony directly contradicts the false narrative peddled by Vanguard and other media outlets claiming that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu \u201cadmitted\u201d to inciting the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe witness\u2019s response of \u201cI\u2019m not aware\u201d cannot, by any stretch of logic or ethics, be twisted into an admission of guilt by the defendant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Kanu family is appalled by the prosecution\u2019s reliance on unsubstantiated allegations and their failure to produce any credible evidence in court.<\/p>\n
\u201cWitness PW2-BBB, who Mazi Nnamdi Kanu described as a \u201cmercenary hired to testify against him,\u201d is not an SSS officer based at the national headquarters in Abuja and is unknown to the defendant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prosecution\u2019s attempt to present baseless claims through this witness, without tendering any evidence, is a mockery of justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cEqually troubling is the media\u2019s role in amplifying falsehoods while ignoring the substance of the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of focusing on the prosecution\u2019s deceit and the court\u2019s exasperation with their antics, certain media houses have chosen to sensationalize trivial matters, such as the exclusion of Princess Favour Kanu, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu\u2019s sister-in-law, from the courtroom for streaming the proceedings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis minor infraction pales in comparison to the travesty of justice unfolding in this case, yet it has been weaponized to distract from the prosecution\u2019s failures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deliberate misinformation emanating from this trial underscores the urgent need for transparency. The Kanu family humbly calls on Justice James Omotosho to allow live streaming of the proceedings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis case, which carries global interest and significance, demands real-time access to counter the propaganda and falsehoods peddled by government-controlled media.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gagging of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu\u2019s family and legal team from conducting live interviews after court sessions only serves to embolden the prosecution\u2019s deceitful tactics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nigerian government\u2019s conduct in this case is an embarrassment to the judiciary and a betrayal of the principles of natural justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cJustice Omotosho has demonstrated commendable impartiality, yet the prosecution\u2019s desperation to distort facts and manipulate public perception threatens the integrity of the trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe media\u2019s complicity in spreading lies, such as the baseless claim that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu admitted to inciting violence, is indicative of the pressure exerted on journalists to serve as mouthpieces for the government\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Kanu family will not stand idly by while Mazi Nnamdi Kanu\u2019s reputation is unjustly maligned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe demand that media outlets retract their false reports and focus on the substance of the case: a prosecution built on lies, unsubstantiated allegations, and procedural violations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe call on the public, both in Nigeria and globally, to reject the government\u2019s propaganda and demand accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis case is not a legal proceeding but a circus orchestrated to silence a man who has fearlessly advocated for the rights of his people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge all lovers of justice 8to join us in condemning this travesty and to support our call for live streaming to ensure the truth is no longer distorted\u201d, the statement said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,Abuja The family of the detained Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu has kicked against an alleged deliberate representation of court proceedings by a section of the media in the terrorism charges against him. The family warned those involved in the alleged misrepresentation of proceedings in the on-going criminal trial to desist from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[1200,2519,1885,1519,2518,1640,1992],"class_list":["post-3919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-crime","tag-deliberate","tag-disinformation","tag-falsehood","tag-misleading","tag-misrepresentation","tag-proceedings","tag-sensationalism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3919"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3919\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3921,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3919\/revisions\/3921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}