Judge declines to move Kanu from SSS custody, adjourns terrorist leader’s trial till Oct 21

The Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, on Monday, adjourned the trial of leader of terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, till October 21.

The adjournment was due to State Security Services (SSS) not producing him in court.

When Kanu’s matter was called, prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court of his absence for the day’s proceeding, citing logistical reasons.

But lead defence counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor Esq, accused the prosecution of denying the legal team and family members the opportunity to see the IPOB leader.

Ejiofor, however, sought to move an application for the transfer of his client to prison as preferred custody to the SSS facility.

But the presiding judge, Justice Nyako, declined the application, insisting on the physical presence of Kanu before she could proceed on the matter.

The court directed the prosecution to ensure that the SSS grant access to Kanu’s defence lawyers on certain days of the week.

Meanwhile, the parties have agreed that since the matter is coming during the annual vacation of the court, the presiding judge will require a fiat from the Chief Judge to proceed.

The judge told the parties that it was the duty of the prosecution to apply for the fiat if they want the trial during vacation and not the duty of her court.

Consequently, the judge adjourned the matter to October 21, while noting that if the fiat was obtained, the court could reconvene at an earlier date.

Recall that Kanu was re-arrested and extradited to Nigeria from a country yet to be disclosed officially and has been in the Service custody after his first arraignment.

Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism brought against by the Federal Government of Nigeria over his Biafran agitation.  He jumped bail in September 2017 and escaped to London, United Kingdom in circumstances believed generally to involve the hands of Senator Eyinnaya Aberibe, one of his two sureties, thus prolonged his case for four years.

Kanu, according to several video and audio tapes, have contributed to many of the killings caused by fake news and incitements that have happened since his jumping bail, which include the killings and destruction across Southern Nigeria during the October #EndSARS protests that later triggered looting of several business centres across the country with extension to parts of the North.

His directives and incitements were shown in the tapes to be responsible, even while jumping bail and staying abroad, for the several killings by ambush of Army officers and soldiers as well targeted killing of police officers, DSS operatives and burning of police stations and other public infrastructures in Eastern Nigeria.

Nnamdi Kanu issued several sit-at-home orders amidst which Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, a Northern politician and former Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President during the Administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, was killed.