*Trial Adjourned Till January
*Nnamdi Kanu Absent In Court
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A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 18 and January 20, 2021, for the trial of the leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafran (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who is being tried for treason and terrorism.
Justice Binta Nyako, on Thursday, granted the application for the abridgment of time for the trial.
The court had earlier fixed January 19 for hearing but summoned parties in the matter to appear on December 2 to enable the court take some pending applications.
Kanu was, however, not present in court for the hearing.
His counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had requested for the abridgment of time for the hearing to hold in December as against January.
Shuaib Labaran, who stood for the federal government, however, told the court that a counter affidavit opposing the request has been filed and served on the defendants.
Justice Nyako informed Kanu’s lawyer that the application for time abridgment cannot be considered because of inadequate judicial time in the diary.
The court then informed the parties that it will move all cases already slated for January 18 to 20 to other dates to enable only Kanu’s case to be taken.
The judge ordered DSS to allow Kanu to practice his faith, change his clothes and be given maximum possible comfort in the detention facility.
The Judge ordered the Department of States Services (DSS) to allow Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to have the “maximum possible comfort” in its facility.
The federal government had filed fresh charges against Kanu after he was re-arrested.
The charges border on treasonable felony and terrorism.
Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, a Special Counsel to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has given an insight into the recent court hearing of the IPOB leader on Wednesday.
Ejimakor said that the court stated, “That Mazi Kanu be given maximum comfort possible in the detention facility. That he be allowed a change of clothing.”
In a statement signed by the lawyer, he noted that during the hearing, there was a total absence of security operatives in court and around the outer perimeters as was the case during previous proceedings.
Also, Ejimakor stated that Mazi Kanu was not in court and there was no officer from the Department of State Service to explain why. However, from what he surmised, both the court and the DSS might have concluded that his presence in court was not strictly required in the sort of application that was moved in court today.
The lawyer also claimed that the court did not grant Kanu’s legal team the leave to move their application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to continue the trial.
The statement further read, “Recall that we had filed such application, arguing that the extraordinary rendition of Kanu constitutes a constitutional barrier to his trial. The court ruled that the application was not calendared for hearing today. That it will be heard at the next adjourned date.
“The court, after going through what it said is a tight judicial calendar, moved the date of the next hearing backwards from 19th to 18th January 2022. The court ruled that it will entertain all outstanding applications at the next hearing date, and proceeded to make the following Orders: That Mazi Kanu be given maximum comfort possible in the detention facility. That he be allowed a change of clothing.”
More so, the lawyer noted that the court gave the IPOB leader the nod to practice his Jewish faith.
Ejimakor further noted, “That he be allowed free practice of his Jewish faith including access to his Jewish religious materials. That the DSS obey all previous orders granted in the matter, including allowing Kanu any visitor of his choice. That Kanu be permitted, at his option, to mingle freely with other inmates or any other persons at the detention facility.”
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