A constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has kicked against the declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a militant terrorist organisation by the Defence Headquarters.
In his reaction, Chief Ozekhome said he did not believe the instances cited by the Defence Headquarters justified the declaration of IPOB a terrorist organisation.
The constitutional lawyer said the last time he checked, he, “can’t remember any of such organisations operating in the country being declared terrorist organisations.
“The herdsmen who go on rampage daily, maiming, raping, killing, those responsible for the Agatu massacre, Shiites massacre, Southern Kaduna progrom, indiscriminate killings, brazen quit notices givers across Nigeria and so on have never been arrested, prosecuted, let alone being proscribed and stigmatised.as terrorist organisations.
“We must surely have and operate two sets of laws for two sets of peoples in Nigeria. A government should be seen to be fair to all component parts of Nigeria,” Chief Ozekhome said.
In his reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla said terrorism organisation meant any group of terrorist that, “commits, or attempts to commit terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, unlawfully and willfully, participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts, organises or directs others to commit terrorist acts, or contributes to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting with a common purpose.”