Trial of leader of Indigenous People of
Biafra, IPOB and two others charged with
him on charges of treasonable felony by
the Federal Government began on a
dramatic note and amidst tight security at
Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday morning.
Kanu, on arrival at the court from Kuje prison
where he was ordered to be remanded by the
court, had refused to come down from the
prison vehicle or allow the warders take off the
handcuff he was brought to court in.
The IPOB leader had insisted that he will go
inside the courtroom with the handcuff in his
hand.
But his lawyer’s intervention resolved the dispute
that may have led to the delay in the
commencement of the trial. Justice James
Tshoho of Federal High Court, Abuja division had
on Friday, 29 January denied Kanu and his two
co-accused bail.
He ordered them to be remanded in prison
custody pending the outcome of his trial.
The Judge had based the denial of bail on the
fact that the offences the IPOB leader were
charged with borders on national security.
He also said Kanu’s possession of dual
citizenship enhances his possibility of escaping
from Nigeria if granted bail, as argued by the
prosecution counsel.
The Judge however, ordered an accelerated
hearing of his case as he adjourned trial till
February 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Kanu, who is also a director of the pirate Radio
Biafra was arrested by operatives of Department
of State Security Service (DSS), in October 2015
in an hotel in Lagos.
He was arraigned on 20 January charged with
treason and other offences bordering on his
agitation for the secession of eastern part of
Nigeria, alongside Benjamin Madubugwu and
David Nwawuisi.
The charge against them read: “That you,
Nnamdi Kanu and other unknown per sons, now
at large, at London, United Kingdom, between
2014 and September, 2015 with intention to levy
war against Nigeria in order to force the
President to change his measures of being the
President of the Federation, Head of State and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federation as defined in Section 3 of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1999 (as amended) by doing an act to wit:
Broadcast on Radio Biafra your preparations for
the states in the South- East geo-political zone,
South-South geo-political zone, the Igala
Community of Kogi State and the Idoma/Igede
Community of Benue State to secede from the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and form themselves
into a Republic of Biafra, and thereby committed
an offence punish- able under Section 41(C) of
the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you, Nnamdi Kanu and others, now at
large, between 2012 and September, 2015 at
South-East geo-political zone and the South-
South geo-political zone of Nigeria within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court manage an
unlawful society with more than 10 members to
wit: unregistered with the Corporate Affairs
Commission or any other registration authority to
wit. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
thereby committed an offence which is
punishable under Section 63 of the Criminal
Code Act, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria 2004.”
“That you, Nnamdi Kanu between the months of
March and April, 2015 imported into Nigeria and
kept in Ubulusiuzor town in Ihiala local
Government Area of Anambra State within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court, a radio
transmitter known as TRAM 5OL concealed in a
container which you described as containing
household items, which you so declared and that,
you thereby committed an offence punishable
under section 47(2) (a) of the Customs and
Excise Management Act.”
The counts four and five accused the trio of
being involved in the management of unlawful
society and unlawful possession of firearms.
“That you Benjamin Madubugwu in the month of
April, 2015 at Ubulusiuzor town, Ihiala Local
Government Area of Anambra State of Nigeria
within the juris- diction of this honourable court
assisted in the man- agement of an unlawful
society known as the In- digenous People of
Biafra (IPOB) by doing an act to wit, accepted
and kept in your residence a container housing a
radio transmit- ter known as TRAM 50L, with
knowledge that the said transmitter belongs to
an unlawful society (known as IPOB) and that
you thereby committed an offence punishable
under Section 63 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP
C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004,” the
sixth count read.
No comments: