Legal Nigeria

Court adjourns Nnamdi Kanu trial to January 2022

By Editor

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the trial of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu till January 19 2022.

Prior to the adjournment by Justice Binta Nyako, there was confusion as Kanu’s team of lawyers staged a walk-out over the refusal of operatives of the Department of State Services to allow them into the courtroom.

Kanu was brought into the courtroom after his case was called.

But security agents reportedly refused to allow lawyers to the IPOB leader, including a legal practitioner from the United State of America, Bruce Fein enter the courtroom.

Kanu’s lawyer told Justice Nyako that Fein, who was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial.

Justice Nyako had to adjourn the case due to the absence of a legal team to conduct proceedings for the IPOB leader.

Kanu’s lawyer told the court that the matter was fixed for the hearing of an application that was filed by the defendant.

A lawyer to the Nigerian government Abubakar argued that since Kanu’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who was initially inside the courtroom, walked out with his team shortly before the arrival of the judge, his pending application should be deemed abandoned.

Justice Nyako expressed displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers.

She declined to dismiss the pending application and rather adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.

THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER