Court Fails To Hear Nnamdi Kanu’s Bail Application, Adjourns To February 16

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday said the bail application filed by the lawyers for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, will not be heard for now.

During the day’s proceedings, Kanu had pleaded not guilty to 15 count terrorism-related charges filed against him by the Nigerian government.

The prosecution’s lawyer, M.S. Labaran, wanted to start calling witnesses but Kanu’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, objected, telling Justice Binta Nyako that trial cannot commence because he had filed an application urging the court to quash the charges.

“We have 34 grounds challenging the competency of the 15 count terrorism-related charges,” he argued adding that FG’s charges were “dead on arrival.”

He also said that he had an application urging the court to grant Kanu bail.

Recall that the trial court had in 2016 refused to grant Kanu bail on the ground that he could use his dual citizenship to flee the country.

That trial verdict was later affirmed by the Court of Appeal on May 2016.

However, the trial court had in 2017 granted Kanu bail based on health grounds.

The IPOB leader eventually left the country in September 2017 after a military raid on his family house in Abia State.

After some years abroad, Kanu was extradited to Nigeria in June 2021, to continue his trial.

Main counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had upon Kanu’s return, filed another application seeking his client’s transfer to Kuje Correctional Centre, but the judge refused to grant his prayers.

Justice Binta Nyako however ruled that Kanu be kept in the custody of the Department of States Services, DSS.

Later, she ordered that Kanu must be given the “maximum comfort possible” while in DSS custody.

On Wednesday, Labaran confirmed he had been served with the fresh applications by the defendant but he told the judge that the trial cannot be truncated because of the processes served on him by Ozekhome.

He promised to reply the objection and bail application, saying that the “prosecution has a right of reply.”

Ozekhome objected, urging the judge to treat his applications first because “the truth is that our application is intrinsic.”

Justice Binta Nyako agreed that trial cannot commence until she rules on the application seeking to quash the 15 count terrorism-related charges.

But for the bail application, she said she will consider the application at the appropriate time, not at the moment.

Subsequently, she adjourned to February 16 for hearing on Ozekhome’s application challenging the competency of the FG’s 15 count charges.

She also ruled that the matter will be heard from 1 pm on that day.

The judge gave both lawyers 5 minutes to argue on the matter so as not to drag the case during proceedings.