Court adjourns Nnamdi Kanu’s trial till today

Imo denies presence of Miyetti Allah vigilance group, as residents obey sit-at-home order

The Federal High Court Abuja, yesterday, adjourned further proceedings in the case against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu to today.

This followed Kanu’s complaint that the Federal Government failed to promptly serve him the fresh 15-count amended charge preferred against him in court.

His counsel, led by Mike Ozekhome (SAN), accused the Federal Government of denying him the necessary facility to defend the charge against him.

Kanu, who objected to fresh charges, also accused the Federal Government of ambushing him with the new charge and prayed the court to adjourn till today to enable him to study the new charge and for his plea to be taken.

Ozekhome told the court that the amended charge was served on them barely 24 hours before the hearing.

“My lord, the proposed amended charge was served on us yesterday evening. As I speak, the defendant, who was just brought in, has not even seen the charge, for which he is being told to enter his plea.

“With due respect, that is not Justice. It is ambushing. I know that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) allows them to amend, but this is the sixth amendment being made and each time they do so, they serve us a day to the hearing, just to frustrate the trial,” Ozekhome said.

On his part, the prosecution team, led by Mohammed Labaran from the Federal Ministry of Justice, said he was not opposed to the court granting a short adjournment to enable the defence lawyers to study the charge.

Before adjourning the case till Wednesday, trial Justice Binta Nyako ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow Kanu to change his clothes.

BESIDES, the Imo State Government has refuted reports of the presence of Miyetti Allah Vigilance group in the 27 councils of the state, to assist the security agencies to fight crime.

A statement issued yesterday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, described the report as false, adding: “Imo State Government has dissociated itself from a fabricated story that Miyette Allah vigilante has arrived the state to help security agencies fight crime.

It accused the authors of the reports as a desperate opposition group determined to cause tension in the state and warned the purveyors of such reports to desist and be mindful of the consequences.

MEANWHILE, residents of Imo State obeyed IPOB’s sit-at-home order to solidarise with Kanu, who appeared at a Federal High Court in Abuja for trial.

The Guardian observed that major streets were deserted and there were no commercial vehicles to convey students to school as a result, they converted most roads to football grounds, just as markets, shops, banks and public offices were closed in Owerri.