
Nnamdi Kanu receiving brief from his lawyers as court adjourns till January 19, 2022
Kanu’s lawyer accuses Justice Nyako of ‘arbitrarily’ adjourning case till January 19, 2022

Lead counsel to leader of the pro-secession group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Alloy Ejimakor, Wednesday, accused judge of the Federal High Court sitting Abuja, Justice Binta Nyako of ‘arbitrarily’ adjourning the case brought before her court against his client.

Justice Nyako had adjourned the case filed by the Federal Government against Kanu following an alleged walk-out staged by lawyers of the activist over the refusal of the DSS operatives to grant access to the courtroom to one of the lawyers attached to the IPOB leader, during the resumed sitting of the court in Abuja, Wednesday morning.

Justice Nyako adjourned the case till January 19, next year, after Kanu had complained to her that DSS operatives refused to allow his counsel in court.
A counsel to Kanu, Mr Bruce Fein had sought to enter the courtroom to represent his client but was prevented from doing so by security operatives of the DSS who had earlier also barred journalists and traditional rulers from the proceedings at the courtroom.
Justice Nyako, while reacting to the mild drama that played out inside the courtroom as Kanu was engaged in a heated argument with DSS operatives over their refusal to grant access to his lawyers, expressed dissatisfaction at the absence of Kanu’s lawyers when the proceedings began.
Kanu informed Justice Binta that his lawyers were having an exchange with DSS operatives outside her court room, as he disclosed to her that his counsels were arguing with security officials for stopping one of them, Mr Bruce Fein, his United States lawyer from entering into the court room.
However, prosecution counsel jumped in to urge the court to dismiss Kanu’s application, which challenged the court’s jurisdiction and the competency of the seven-count Terrorism charged instituted against him.
On her part, Justice Binta frowned at the behavior of Kanu’s lawyers, as she also refused to dismiss Kanu’s application, but added that anyone that wants to access the court during Kanu’s high profile trial must write to her ahead of time.
“Staging a walkout on the court is a very serious offence. I will not dismiss the applications. Let them be in the case file. But discuss with your lawyers so that their attitude can change,” the judge held and subsequently adjourned the case to January 19.
Kanu’s lawyers were already in the courtroom before the arrival of Justice Nyako, but walked out when the American colleague was prevented from accessing the court as proceeding commenced proper.
Reacting to the development, Mr Fein told the press that he wondered why he is being restricted to access his client.
Also reacting, Ejimakor expressed doubt as to whether his client would get a fair trial.
Ejimakor, via his Twitter handle, tweeted: “I’m not happy. The world should not be happy. The Judge LOCKED out Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers and refused us entry into the courtroom. She then arbitrarily adjourned the case to January 19, 2022. This is a travesty of justice. We will surely take urgent and decisive measures.”
For the umpteenth time, journalists and others were locked out of the courtroom at the resumed trial of leader of the pro-secession group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu on Wednesday.
Both Prince Kanu Meme, one of the younger brothers of Nnamdi Kanu, and former Governor of
However, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives turned back journalists and others heading into the courtroom, for no specific reasons.
The hooded operatives, who barricaded all routes leading to the court, barred al journalists, including print and broadcast, from major media organizations from entering the court premises.
Kanu is appearing before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on charges brought by the Federal Government through the Department of State service (DSS) bordering on amended charges bordering on treason, terrorism, arms possession, as well as, those on insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
The case when it previously came up for hearing, last month, October 21, was adjourned to today (Wednesday) as the court admitted amended charges against Kanu filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Kanu pleaded not guilty to the amended charges before the Justice Nyako court.
Federal Government had slammed an amended seven-count charge against Kanu, while the Federal High Court issued a hearing notice for Thursday, October 21.
The Notice titled, ‘Federal Republic of Nigeria Versus Nnamdi Kanu,’ with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/15, was served on Ejiofor and the prosecuting lawyer, Shuaibu Labaran.
Journalists, lawyers and staff of the Federal High Court (FHC) were barred from entering the Court premises.
Federal Government amended the charges against him raising them to seven counts as against the five counts he was previously answering to, bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.
The court session on Thursday commenced at 10 am.
The amended charge sheet brought against Kanu by the DSS, read:
Count one:
That you, Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult of Afaraukwu lbeku Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, being the leader of the Indigenous People of Bialra (IPOB) on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015 in London, United Kingdom, did broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu and other areas within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, preparations made by you and others now at large for states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue States to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to constituting same into the Republic of Biafra and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 41(c) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Count two:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area ot Abia State, on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom did broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Three:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male adult of Afaraukwu lbeku Umahia North Local Government Area of Abia State between the month of March and April 2015 imported into Nigeria and kept in Ubulusiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court , a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L concealed in a container of used household which you declared as used household items and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 47 (2) of the Criminal Code of Act ,Cap C45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Count four:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult. of Afaraukwu iIbeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State in London, United Kingdom between 2018 and 2021 Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and FCT, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, professed to be a member of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 16 Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count five:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on the 22th of April, 2021 in London, United Kingdom on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu State and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act of terrorism in that you incite the other members (followers) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB}, a proscribed organisation in Nigeria, to look for security personnel, their family members through a Radio Biafra on 102.1FM monitored through the IPOB Community Radio and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act.
Count six:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia Stale on the 16thh of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by making a broadcast that “In 2 weeks’ time, what will happen will shake the world, people will die, the whole world will stand still, mark my word” and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count seven:
That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaraukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on the 31st of May, 2021, in London, United Kingdom within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism by issuing a deadly threat that anyone who flouted your sit-at-home order should “write his/her will,” as a result banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations were not opened for businesses and vehicular movements grounded and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
When the charges were read to him, the IPOB leader pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.
Subsequently, he was taken back to the DSS custody as the court adjourned till November 10, this year for further hearing on the case.
The IPOB leader was rearrested presumably in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria in July to continue his trial.