The Federal High Court Abuja has adjourned indefinitely the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in the terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
A team of government prosecutors led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. M.B. Abubakar, on Monday alleged that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, refused to present himself before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his planned re-arraignment.
“My lord, I understand that the defendant declined to come to court today.
“As of last week, the defendant was intimated of this sitting and he did not object. However, when I called the office this morning, I was informed that the defendant woke up and declined to come to court.
“All entreaties and pleas were made but he refused to come to court”, the government lawyer told the court.
Kanu’s legal team, however, said the allegation was strange as Kanu had never hidden his intention to always be in court.
“My lord, this is totally strange to me because this is a person that has never hidden his intention to always be in court. In fact, even in processes we filed at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, the defendant said he would want to be present in court for hearing of all the matters,” Kanu’s legal team head, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said.
Kanu is standing trial of amended seven counts of terrorism filed against him by the FG.
Justice Binta Nyako however, adjourned the matter indefinitely pending the resolution of the Federal Government’s appeal against the October 13 judgment of the Court of Appeal that discharged him from the terrorism charges.
