Anthony Iwuoma
The trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was on Thursday shifted from January 19 to 18 next year.
The shift in the trial date followed the abridgement of time granted by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, following a passionate plea to that effect.
Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had sought the court’s order to allow the trial hold in November and December this year instead of January 19, 2022 as earlier fixed.
However, the Federal Government counsel, Shuaib Labaran, told the court that a counter affidavit opposing the request by the government had been filled and served on Kanu.
In her decision, Justice Nyako told Ejiofor that his request could not be considered because there was no judicial time for such an issue.
The case diary of the court was read to Kanu’s lawyer to show that there are other cases pending in the court for attention.
Following the lawyer’s insistence, however, Justice Nyako agreed to shift other cases slated for January 18 to be able to accommodate the trial on that date instead of January 19 and 20.
Recall that Kanu was in July rearrested in Kenya under mysterious circumstances and brought back to Nigeria to continue his trial for treason and felony.
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The IPOB leader had been arrested earlier, following his agitation for self-determination for the people if ‘Biafra’, an act the Federal Government is not comfortable with.
However, Kanu jumped the bail granted him and fled the country when soldiers invaded his home in Abia State, which resulted in the killing of some of his supporters.
His latest incarceration and trial has caused a lot of crisis in the region with the declaration of the recently rescinded sit-at-home order in the entire South-east region by the IPOB.
Many expressed hope that his release, even if on bail, would reduce tension. The hope was raised high yesterday when online reports had it that Kanu would be released on Thursday but that was not to be.
