A federal high court in Abuja is set to commence the trial
of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in his
absence.
A hearing notice from the court scheduled the case for
November 26 during which five prosecution witnesses will testify against Kanu.
The notice was served on the federal government’s
prosecution team and Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the defendant’s counsel.
Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony
instituted against him in response to years of campaign for the independent
Republic of Biafra through IPOB.
He was granted bail in April 2017 for health reasons, but
skipped his bail after reportedly flouting all the conditions given to him by
the court.
Owing to his absence in court, Binta Nyako, the judge who
granted him bail, revoked it and ordered
that he should be arrested.
But Kanu’s lawyer argued that he left the country because of
the invasion of his family’s residence in Abia state by soldiers during a
military exercise.
He prayed the court to restore the bail to enable the
defendant to return to Nigeria for trial, but the judge did not accede to the
request.
Despite the court’s insistence on his appearance, the IPOB
leader has remained abroad, and once said he jumped bail to pursue the cause of
Biafra.
“Their problem is Nnamdi Kanu and the solution to their
problem is referendum. They gave me conditional bail to cage me and IPOB but I
refused,” he had said during a broadcast.
He also said the arrest warrant against him means nothing
and vowed to remain abroad to continue his campaign for a Biafran republic in
the south-east.
“The bench warrant against me is merely academic. It will
surely be ignored by an international legal and diplomatic order that has
voiced its disapproval of what is happening to IPOB in Nigeria,” he had said.
“Self determination is not a crime but a right guaranteed
under chapter A9, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004. So, what is Justice
Binta Nyako seeking my arrest and trial for unless she has no intention of
obeying the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which gives me the right to
openly agitate for Biafra?“
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You cannot say 'treason' because it's a misnomer when you try to associate it with Nigeria. It's been confirmed that Nigeria is a fraud and operating with a fraudulent constitution that is foisted on the people not by the people. So Nigeria cannot arrogate claims of treason to itself.
ReplyDeleteKanu claims to be protected by Nigerians constitution but he himself violated the constitution by jumping of his All bail condition.
ReplyDelete