Kanu’s Trial Reschedules For April 8, He Demands Freedom.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), demanded his freedom yesterday, contesting the validity of the Federal Government’s 15-count amended charge against him.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja set April 8, 2022 for a ruling on a preliminary objection filed by his legal team during a resumed hearing of the alleged terrorism charges against him.

After his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, and the prosecution’s counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, argued for and against the defendant’s preliminary objection, the court set the date.

Ozekhome had pleaded with the court to acquit and dismiss Kanu’s charges, claiming that the 15-count amended charge was flawed and without merit.

Ozekhome told the court that his application aims to quash, strike out, and dismiss Kanu’s 15-count amended charge of incompetence, as well as denying the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

Labaran, on the other hand, asked the court to disregard Kanu’s objection and order him to enter defense.

“We wish to state emphatically and particularly in paragraphs 7, 8, 9, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 of the affidavit in support of the motion,” he said.

Kanu’s family members brought a cloth with a lion’s heart, which “offends our standard operating procedures,” according to Director of Legal, Directorate of State Services (DSS).

Despite the court’s order, the DSS refused to allow Kanu to change his clothes, according to Ozekhome. “Kanu, what kind of cloth do you want to wear?” Justice Nyako inquired of the defendant.
“Isi Agu,” Kanu replied, “I want to wear the clothes of my people.”

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“That kind of cloth cannot be worn in my court,” the judge quickly responded. APART FROM THAT, Kanu told the court that he was going blind and pleaded with the judge to save him, claiming that he had not been allowed to use the reading glasses provided by his lawyer since his detention.

Ozekhome told Justice Binta Nyako that his client’s glasses brought to Kenya where he was arrested was damaged, while being arrested. The defendant further claimed that the DSS seized the glasses he brought to Nigeria in 2015 when he was first arrested and have not been released to him.