Air Canada Flight AC88 has been diverted to Calgary International Airport with reports of as many as 20 injured passengers on board due to severe turbulence.
Calgary fire officials confirmed emergency crews are on the scene.
Wednesday 30 December 2015
SaharaReporters Obtains Text Of Nnamdi Kanu’s Statement Containing Apology To President Buhari
SaharaReporters has exclusively received a copy of a handwritten statement signed by Nnamdi Kanu in which he apologized to President Muhammadu Buhari and Igbo elders for disparaging or insulting statements he made about them.
The statement, dated October 23, 2015, was made while he was in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and on the official letterhead of DSS.
Mr. Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, had among others called President Buhari evil, a terrorist and a paedophile. He has been in detention since his arrest on October 14th. For nearly two months he was held in the custody of the DSS without any charges being officially issued against him. During that time, he was also denied access to medical services and legal aid.
In the handwritten statement, Mr. Kanu said, “I unreservedly apologize [for my Buhari remarks] and will be doing so in a private letter to the President.”
Nnamdi Kanu apologizing to Muhammadu Buhari for remarks
Following his arrest, the IPOB leader was later officially charged, along with two others, with six counts of treason and other offences. On December 17, he applied for and was granted bail, but remained in the custody of the DSS.
Of the statement of October 23, Mr. Kanu’s lawyer, Vincent Obetta, confirmed to a SaharaReporters correspondent on the phone that it was written by his client.
He, however, dismissed reports that stated his client apologized to President Buhari in a separate letter and that “until I see that [letter] I cannot comment” on it.
In addition to apologizing to President Buhari, Mr. Kanu also admitted to saying “uncomplimentary things” about former President Goodluck Jonathan which “should not have happened because it is un-African.”
Nnamdi Kanu apologizing to Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders
He described the IPOB as a group of people who wish to group themselves together “for the purpose of Evangelism or going out to the streets to distribute leaflets and preach the message of lawful existence of Biafra as stipulated in the UN Charter.”
Mr. Kanu denied that there is any agitation on his part for armed conflict, saying that any such suggestion is “purely designed to stop the Nigerian Armed Forces ostensibly the police from coming out and killing innocent people.”
IPOB volunteers, he also said, are “modeled on exactly the same tenet as the world renowned Salvation Army Front,” adding, “Its ambitions are army but it does not carry any weapons, and that the same thing applies to the volunteers of IPOB.
The full text of Mr. Kanu’s statement can be found below:
I can confirm that I, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide is a legally registered and duly recognized body at the United Nations pursuing the rights of a specific indigenous people, in this case Biafra, to seek self-determination according to the said charter the reason for the formation of the Indigenous People of Biafra is to avail those referring to themselves as Biafrans the opportunity made available as a result of the United Nations Declaration to seek the peaceful re-Birth of Biafra in line with international laws, lack of holistic development in the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth employment, corruption in high offices, and economic repression.
Opportunities no longer existed for the majority of the people, and especially young graduates to find meaningful employment in the job market, general hardship, brutal repression of civil and human rights coupled with system that shuns inward investment contributed to the thinking behind the formation of IPOB.
The People of Biafra all over the world have particular emphasis on those residing in the diaspora it is not advised that those in Nigeria contribute. No contribution is accepted from those in political office or from organizations only individuals belonging to those organizations may choose to contribute if they wish to the volunteer force. IPOB is a group of people who may wish to group themselves together for the purpose of Evangelism or going out to the streets to distribute leaflets and preach the message of lawful existence of Biafra as stipulated in the UN Charter.
There is no armed conflict agitating and any reference to such is purely designed to stop the Nigerian Armed Forces ostensibly the police from coming out and killing innocent people.
IPOB volunteers are modeled on exactly the same tenet as the world renowned Salvation Army Front. Its ambitions are army but it does not carry any weapons. The same thing applies to the volunteers of IPOB. There is no arms training involved. I am the Director of Radio Biafra and solely responsible for the output the (genre?) of Radio Biafra is strictly to capture attention and imagination and not designed to incite anyone to violence.
For very many years the Nigerian state and Nigerians in general have continued to witness poor economic management, fraud, corruption, and mismanagement of every sector of the economy. Therefore, as Radio Biafra programs were designed to wake up the public from their slumber and address the issues of the time, which is youth unemployment, lack of infrastructural provisions, poor electricity, an absence of rural development, and conspicuous absence of respect for human rights.
The area as envisaged as Biafra are predominantly South-East and South-South territories having cultural, linguistic, traditional, and commonality in value system. Reference to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a terrorist, evil, and Paedophile is regrettable and uncalled for and for that I unreservedly apologize and will be doing so in a private letter to the President. Before PMP there was the administration of Goodluck Jonathan I also said some uncomplimentary things about him and Igbo elders as well, which I now recognize should have happened because it is un-African to be rude or insolent to elders. All I was trying to do is draw attention to the problems afflicting society and what society is doing about it.
The areas intended for the Biafran being espoused by Indigenous People of Biafra are Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Anambra, Bayelsa Delta, Edo (but only Igbamke), Kogi (only Igala), and Imo States. The mission statement of Radio Biafra is dedicated to the defences of the rights of the indigenous people of Biafra and ultimately the restoration of the REpublic of Biafra in line with United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous People
Nnamdi Kanu
23/10/2015
Source: Sahara Reporters
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Biafra: IPOB Leader Kanu Apologizes To Buhari, Jonathan, Igbo elders?
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed regret for referring to President Muhammadu Buhari as a terrorist, evil and a paedophile in his radio broadcasts.
Kanu, who has been charged along with two others by the Federal Government before a Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts of treason and other ancillary offences, said he intended to write a private letter to Buhari to express his apology to the President.
He also apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders for “some uncomplimentary things” he said about them.
The 48-year-old pro-Biafran agitation leader, who is, however, unapologetic about his demand for a Republic of Biafra, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since his arrest in Lagos on October 14, 2015.
He tendered the apology for his comment against Buhari and others in a statement which he made to the DSS on October 23.
The prosecution, in its summary of the case, alleged that in one of the radio broadcasts by Kanu on August 1, 2015, he expressed his resolve to actualise the Republic of Biafra and “cast aspersions on the person and the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The statement read in part, “Reference to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a terrorist, evil and a paedophile is regrettable and uncalled for and for that, I unreservedly apologise and will be doing so in a private letter to the President.
“Before PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) there was the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. I also said uncomplimentary things about him and Igbo elders as well, which I now recognise should not have happened because it is un-African to be rude or insolent to elders.
“All I was trying to do is to draw attention to the problems afflicting society and something done about them.”
Kanu, who described himself as a Nigerian and a British citizen, justified his agitation for a Biafra Republic.
He said IPOB’s secessionist agenda was informed by the “incessant hardship, lack of holistic development in the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth employment, corruption in high offices and economic regression.”
He added that the agitation by IPOB, which, according to him, was founded in London in 2012 by a group of people from the South-South and South-East regions of the country, was in line with the United Nations Charter on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ratified by African countries, including Nigeria.
In contrast to the counts of managing and assisting in the management of an unlawful society preferred against Kanu and two others, the Radio Biafra founder stated that IPOB, which the prosecution described as unlawful, was registered with the UN to pursue the rights of the people of Biafra.
He stated, “I can confirm that I, Nnamdi Kanu, is the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide as a legitimately and duly registered body at the United Nations pursuing the rights of a specific indigenous people, in this case, Biafra, to seek self determination according to the said charter.
“The reason for the formation of the Indigenous People of Biafra is to avail those referring to themselves as Biafrans the opportunity made available as a result of the United Nations declaration to seek the peaceful rebirth of Biafra in line with international law.”
Kanu, who is a son of a traditional ruler in Abia State, Sir I.O. Kanu, said he operated Radio Biafra, whose programmes “are designed to wake up the public from its slumber and address the issues of the time” because of his belief in free speech and freedom of expression.
He explained that the intended Biafra Republic comprised Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states as well the Igbanke part of Edo State; Igala part of Kogi State and Idoma/Igede part of Edo State.
Apart from Kanu, one of the two other defendants in the six counts filed by the Federal Government is a Field Maintenance Engineer, David Nwawuisi, charged with the responsibility of maintaining MTN masts in Enugu State.
The other defendant, Benjamin Madubugwu, was said to be living in the Ubilisiuzo, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, where he allegedly received custody of a container, housing transmitters, from Kanu.
On December 23 during the accused persons’ appearance in court for their scheduled arraignment, Kanu refused to take his plea due to what he called his lack of confidence in the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed.
The judge promptly returned the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for reassignment to another judge and the three accused persons were returned to the custody of the Department of State Services.
The fresh charges were filed against the three men barely 24 hours after Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a ruling on Kanu’s bail application on December 17, ordered his unconditional release from DSS custody having been detained for about two months without any valid charges filed against him.
The PUNCH had reported that the Federal Government had alleged that transmitters for Radio Biafra, spreading secessionist agenda for carving out Biafra region from Nigeria, were found to be installed on MTN masts in Enugu and Anambra states between April and May 2015.
No new date has been fixed for the arraignment of the accused persons.
BY ADE ADESOMOJU, ABUJADEC 29, 2015
SourCE: PUNCH NG
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