Case adjourned till November14,2022
The leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has spoken to his followers calling for peace and calm. In a short video interview he granted after the court session on Tuesday, Kanu called for peace and calm among his people.
When interviewed,he said that he was not disappointed by the decision of the court to deny him bail but wanted his people to be calm.
‘’ Not at all but, I want our people to be calm. I want Biafraland to be very, very calm. We are fighting to defend our people, not to kill them. That’s why I’m here and will continue to do so until we get freedom’’
Nnamdi Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge of alleged treasonable felony, pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which his lead lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to admit him to bail.
He was first arraigned in 2016 alongside four others and was admitted to bail on health ground.
The court had released him in 2017 after he secured a bail bond of N100 million with three sureties in like sum. However,Kanu fled the country when the Nigerian soldiers invaded his home in Afara-Ukwu.
Several people were killed in Kanu’s home by the soldiers ,according to some eye witnesses. Many of them were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra,IPOB.
Kanu was repatriated to Nigeria last year to continue his trial.
On resumption of the trial, he had asked the court to release him again on bail to enable him prepare adequately for his trial.
He claimed that conditions at the Department of State Services (DSS), where he is been held in custody since his repatriation to Nigeria, were inhumane, adding that he is being denied access to his lawyer.
In arguing the bail, Ozekhome stated that Kanu did not jump bail but had to escape the onslaught of soldiers who had killed several persons during the raid of Kanu’s family house in September 2017.
He therefore urged the court to set aside the revocation of the bail earlier granted the applicant.
But in its ruling in the fresh application on Tuesday, the court held that it was not satisfied with the reason Kanu gave for his failure to appear in court for continuation of his trial.
The trial judge noted that records of the court showed that the applicant was represented by his lawyer on the day his bail was revoked.
“In fact, the sureties told the court that they did not know the whereabouts of the defendant and even applied to be discharged from the matter.
“Therefore, the defendant was not denied fair hearing,” he said.
Besides, Justices Nyako held that though a court could vacate a previous order when confronted with a cogent and verifiable reason, “in the instant case, I have not been given any, neither have I been given any reason to set-aside the order.
“The present application amounts to an abuse of court process for attempting to relitigate an issue already decided by the court.
“If the Defendant is dissatisfaction, he has the Appeal Court to go to.
“This application is accordingly dismissed”, Justice Nyako held.
It will be recalled that the court had also on March 18, declined to release the embattled IPOB leader on bail.
The court maintained that Kanu must explain the reason why he breached the previous bail that was given to him, before he could enjoy another favourable discretion from it.
“Until the issue of the absence of the defendant for his trial, with all the bail conditions breached, is determined, the instant application of the defendant for bail will at best be premature and it is refused.
“However, the defendant is at liberty to re-file the application”, Justice Nyako added.
The judge subsequently adjourned till November 14, 2022.
