Former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has responded to the claim by Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that he (Kalu) violated the law by visiting the secessionist leader in jail.
Kalu said he is very disappointed with the lawyer, adding that Ejiofor was very much informed that he was scheduled to visit Kanu but claimed that he (Kalu] violated the guidelines stipulated for visiting his client.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that, Ejiofor had issued a statement where he claimed that the Kalu violated the court order by visiting the IPOB leader in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja.
This publication also recalls that the lawmaker on Monday paid a visit to the detained IPOB leader, who is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The Chief Whip of the Senate said Ejiofor’s anger may be out of vexation that he was not around to listen to their conversations.
He said that the public has been misinformed about his visit to the IPOB leader in DSS custody.
“I also read a report stating that I took pictures with Nnamdi and also tweeted same on my Twitter account,” Kalu said in a statement on Wednesday.
“For the records, the Department of State Services (DSS) did not break any protocol during my visit as I fulfilled all the requirements expected of me before I saw Nnamdi. The DSS affirmed that I cannot see Nnamdi without the application of his lawyers which I diligently did.
“Probably, Barrister Ejiofor may have expected me to arrive at 4pm for a scheduled 2pm visit. What many people refer to as ‘African time’ is not my style. I strictly keep to time and it is a discipline I have upheld since my childhood.
“I arrived the DSS headquarters at 1:50 PM; went through the necessary protocols and met Nnamdi at 2:17 PM. I stayed with him until 2: 57 PM. Even though he asked that I stayed longer but I had to leave because of other engagements.
“During my visit to Nnamdi, I did not even take my mobile phone along and no photograph was taken. The photograph people are circulating was the one I took with him when I visited him at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje in 2016 and later, his parents in 2017. My Twitter account has also been inactive.
“I don’t also know if Barrister Ejiofor is aware that Nnamdi is not under compulsion to see anyone. If he didn’t want to see me, he could have as well declined, but he was glad to see me and also expressed deep appreciations.
“Ejiofor’s anger seems to be borne out of vexation of not being around to listen to our conversations.”
According to the Senator, Ejiofor is sounding like someone who is a beneficiary of the crisis going on in the South East, adding that men like the senior lawyer may not see the economic damage the region is going through because of the weekly sit-at-home.
Kalu said that Ejiofor should do well to consider the security, safety and wellbeing of the people, adding that there could be a peaceful protest without disruption of the economic activities and going violent.
The lawmaker called on the lawyer to be patriotic and rise above what he described as primordial and pecuniary interest and put the people first.
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