| MR. NNAMDI KANU IN COURT |
The
Federal Government of Nigeria received an adverse reaction from the trial judge
in the on-going treason trial against the leader of the indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu when it filed fresh six-count charges against him, as
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the federal High Court said he would not be hearing
the case. The judge stated this after Mr. Kanu objected to the case, saying his
decisions would be disobeyed by the federal government as it had repeatedly done
to previous court rulings.
The
accused, Kanu, had informed the court during his arraignment today, before the
hearing of his plea, of his preference to rather continue to be held in the
detention, instead of facing a trial, when the court’s decision would not be
respected by the federal government. He made reference to the decisions of the
court in his previous trials which had not been respected by the federal
government or its security agencies.
In
the new charges filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Kanu and two others,
Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi are accused of treason and managing the
affairs of ‘an unlawful society.’ Mr. Kanu and co. are stated to be planning to
split Nigeria by creating a Biafra Republic. The prosecution reacting, however,
said based on section 396 (2) of the constitution, the defendant had no right
to object to the court’s trial until after the plea was heard. The trial
judge, Mohammed thereafter announced that he would no longer hear the case,
just as he countered the prosecution, holding that Mr. Kanu had the right to object
to the trial, saying “after all justice is rooted on confidence.”
Justice
Mohammed averred that the prosecution if it had been in the same position like
the defendant would have done the same and ruled that “If any of the parties
has no confidence in the court, he has the right to say so.” He thereafter
remitted the case file to the honourable chief judge of the Federal High Court
to reassign it.
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