Details of what transpired in the court room of the Federal High Court, Abuja where the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is standing trial have reached Trumpeta.
Kanu who has appeared in court three times since he was extradited to Nigeria from abroad by the Federal Government had his case adjourned to January next year by Justice Binta Nyako after his lawyers staged a walkout.
The detained IPOB leader was brought to court at 9.50am yesterday after security operatives had cordoned off the Court premises by denying access to newsmen and others who came to witness the case.
Shortly after his case was called up, Kanu lamented the refusal of the security agents to allow some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the United State of America, Bruce Fein, to enter the court room.
Kanu told the court that the American lawyer, Mr Fein who he said, was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness the trial.
Said he, “I have an ongoing case in the US, I have not been allowed to see him. He is here to see me and to observe the proceeding”.
Lamenting further, Kanu was quoted to have said “he has been to the DSS to see me, but they denied him access to me”
Consequently, the judge requested Kanu to disclose if he was ready to conduct the proceedings himself in the absence of his lawyers which he replied in the negative. But lawyer to the Federal Government, M.D Abubakar who is also the Director of Prosecution asked the court to go ahead with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.
The government lawyer argued that since Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr Iheanyi Ejiofor was initially inside the courtroom but walked out with his team before the arrival of the judge, his pending application should be deemed abandoned.
Though, the Judge expressed displeasure with Kanu’s lawyers, but failed to abide by the argument of government lawyer as she adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.
Kanu’s lead lawyer, Ejimakor, informed Trumpeta through his tweet that “I am not happy. The world should not be happy. The judge locked out Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers and refused us entry into the court room. She then arbitrarily adjourned the case to January 19, 2022. This is a travesty of Justice; we will surely take urgent and decisive measures”.
