The authorized crew of Nnamdi Kanu, chief of the Indigenous Individuals of Biafra, IPOB, has raised an alarm over the non-resumption of the trial of the Biafra agitator.The legal professionals accused the Federal Authorities and the judiciary of intentionally delaying the resumption of Kanu’s case in court docket.
The authorized crew, consisting of lead counsel Aloy Ejimakor, Jude Ugwuanyi, and Nnaemeka Ejiofor, addressed the convention as a part of efforts to mark the arrest of Kanu 9 years in the past, after he returned to Nigeria from London.
Kanu was arrested and detained on trumped-up prices of treasonable felony, publication of defamatory issues, and improper importation of products into Nigeria.
Whereas he was arraigned, the IPOB chief pleaded “not responsible” to the fees on twelfth December 2015, however was remanded till twenty fifth April 2017, when he was granted bail by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja.
Upon his launch, troopers of Operation Python Dance invaded Kanu’s ancestral residence in Afaraukwu, Abia State, between tenth and 14th April 2017.
The invasion led to Kanu fleeing Nigeria for London, the place he continued his agitation for Biafra.
His case got here up earlier than Justice Nyako of the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja on twenty sixth June 2018, however he was not in court docket, having exiled to Kenya to save lots of his life.
On twenty eighth March 2019, the Federal Authorities of Nigeria knowledgeable the court docket that Kanu had jumped bail and violated the phrases of his bail, thus making use of for the revocation of his bail.
Following this, an arrest warrant was issued for Kanu, together with an order forfeiting the bail bonds of his sureties.
After the Federal Excessive Courtroom revoked Kanu’s bail and issued a warrant for his arrest, the Federal Authorities of Nigeria kidnapped him from Nairobi, Kenya, to Nigeria.
Nonetheless, the authorized crew mentioned the Nigerian authorities and judiciary are intentionally delaying the listening to of Kanu’s case.
In a joint assertion, the legal professionals primarily based this declare on the truth that on twenty fourth September 2024, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, made an order recusing herself from the terrorism case of Kanu earlier than her court docket and despatched the case file to the Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Courtroom for reassignment to a different decide.
They lamented that the case has not been reassigned to a different decide nearly 5 months after she recused herself.
The legal professionals additionally maintained that Kanu was justified in demanding the recusal of Justice Nyako from his case.
The assertion mentioned: “There’s a concerted effort by the Federal Authorities of Nigeria and the judiciary to not hear or decide Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s circumstances and appeals in a well timed method.
“There was no reassignment by the Chief Decide thus far. To the Federal Authorities of Nigeria, so long as Mazi stays in DSS custody, the trial can go to hell. Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has since twenty third December 2024 written to the Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Courtroom for the reassignment of the case, however thus far, nothing has occurred.
“On the a part of the prosecution, no effort in any way is being made to reassign the case to a different decide. Everyone knows what number of judges are within the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, who’re eminently certified and competent to listen to the case on its deserves, nevertheless it appears both Justice Binta hears the case or Mazi Nnamdi languishes in DSS detention indefinitely.”
