The trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) today continue at the Federal High Court in Abuja with new twists from the Federal Government.
The IPOB leader who was abducted in Kenya and brought to Nigeria by agents of the Nigerian government have been accused of several crimes, including treason against the state.
The continuation of Nnamdi Kanu`s trial resumed this morning in Abuja.
KEY FACTS
- The Nigerian on Wednesday morning altered the remaining 7 charges by reducing it to six and including some facts, which were never in the original 15 count charges before the Federal High Court.
- This was a twist from the earlier expectation in court today which the hearing of Kanu`s application for court bail.
- Another twist to today`s trial is about the relaxation of most of the draconian measures introduced to the trial by the Federal Government, which could been seen in some quarters as tactics for the purpose of intimidating the Kanu and the IPOB community.
- Unlike, previous days that the IPOB leaders is scheduled to appear in court, today the roads leading to the court are closed to traffic.
- In addition, following proper identification Kanu`s lawyers and independent journalist are allowed into the court for the trial, which was not the usual practice by the Nigerian government.
BACKGROUND
The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako had on the 8th of April struck out eight out of the initial 15-count charge of treasonable felony that the Nigerian government preferred against the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Precisely, the court struck out counts 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12,13 and 14 of the spurious charges as was described by the presiding judge. It however, allowed the remaining counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 15 against Nnamdi Kanu’.
The judge berated the charges holding that most of the charges that were thrown out were mere repetitions and did not in any way disclose any offence known to law. These charges were also held by the court as incapable of any evidential prove before the court.
NOTABLE QUOTES
The IPOB leader`s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), made the following argument, while trying to move the court to throw out the entire 15 charges preferred against Nnamdi Kanu:
“The charges appears to give this court a global jurisdiction over offences that were allegedly committed by the Defendant, without specifying the location or date the said offences were committed”.
