Absence of lawyer stalls Nnamdi Kanu’s trial

The trial of the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in absentia was, on Thursday, stalled before a Federal High Court, Abuja, following the absence of his counsel, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

Kanu’s counsel had, in a letter dated November 24, 2020, apologised for his inability to be in court for the matter and prayed for an adjournment to enable him to be in court to represent his client.

But, the prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, objected to the admissibility of the letter, describing it as a deliberate attempt to frustrate the trial.

He told the court that counsel are not to misled the court for whatever reason and drew the court’s attention to the second paragraph of the said letter, where Ejiofor said, he was, “sitting in his chambers at Nnewi, Anambra State on November 25 preparing for the hearing of an appeal coming up at the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal when he got a call from the trial court that the criminal trial of his client comes up on November 26.”

According to Labaran, Ejiofor’s letter dated November 24 predated his narration in the second paragraph of the said letter and urged the court not to give effect to the letter.

He asked for a substantial cost should the court decided to adjourn the trial at the instance of the defendant’s counsel, saying that the prosecution had incurred expenses in assembling witnesses in court to testify in the matter.

The trial judge, however, adjourned the matter till January 27, 2021, and added that the issue of cost will be determined at the end of the trial.

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It would be recalled that the court had, on March 28, 2019, ordered Kanu’s re-arrest after revoking the bail granted him and ordered his trial in his absence.

Justice Nyako recalled in her ruling that the court admitted the defendant to bail April 25, 2017, on health ground, but he failed to attend trial since November 2017 prompting the court to issue an order directing his sureties to deposit the sum N100 million bond with the court Registrar and to show cause why they should not forfeit the money to the Federal Government if they fail to produce Kanu.

The court had, in April 2017 released Kanu on health grounds to Abaribe, Jewish High Priest, Immanuel- Shalom and an Abuja based chartered accountant, Tochukwu Uchendu, as sureties on a bail bond of N100 million each.

But Kanu’s whereabouts has remained unknown since a military operation in his residence in Umuahia, Abia State in September 2017.

The court had separated the trial of Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who were charged with treasonable felony, illegal importation of radio transmitter, and unlawful possession of firearms alongside the IPOB leader.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Absence of lawyer stalls Nnamdi Kanu’s trial