The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Nigeria, has on Tuesday adjourned further proceedings in the case against the detained leader of the Indegenious People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, till Wednesday.
The adjournment followed Kanu’s complain that the Nigerian Government failed to promptly serve him the fresh 15-count amended charge it brought before the court.
Accused the government
Kanu, through is team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, further accused the Nigerian government of denying him the necessary facility to defend the charge against him.
Ozekhome, SAN, told the court that the amended charge was served on them, barely 24 hours to the scheduled hearing.
“My lord, the proposed amended charge was served on us yesterday evening. As I speak to you my lord, the Defendant who was just brought in, has not even seen the charge which he is being told to enter his plea.
“With due respect, that is not Justice. It is ambushing. I know that the Administration if Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, allows them to amend, but this is the 6th amendment they are making, and each time they do it, they serve us a day to the hearing, just to frustrate the trial,” Ozekhome stated.
The Prosecution team, led by Mr. Mohammed Labaran from the Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice said, he was not opposed to the court granting a short adjournment to enable the defence lawyers to study the charge.
Meanwhile, before adjourning the case till Wednesday, trial Justice Binta Nyako, ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow Kanu to have a change of cloth.
Details soon…
Lateefah Ibrahim
