From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has adjourned further proceedings in the trial of Kanu to February 16 after he pleaded not guilty to fresh amended 15-count treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
While attacking the competence of the charges, Kanu said he was innocent of all the allegations contained in the amended charge.
The IPOB leader, through his lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said some counts in the amended charge were similar.
Meanwhile, soon after his plea of not guilty, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial, saying that he brought two witnesses to testify against the defendant.
However, in opposition, Ozekhome, told the court that he had on Tuesday evening filed a 43-paged preliminary objection for the charge to be quashed and struck out without the matter proceeding to trial.
“We are further asking that the defendant should be discharged and acquitted as there is nothing in this charge. It has no basis at all. We also have a motion requesting the court to grant bail to the defendant,” Ozekhome said.
Labaran, however argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, saying he would require time to go through them in order to respond.
In his ruling, Justice Nyako said since Kanu’s first application is challenging the propriety of his trial and competence of the charges against him, the court ought to hear it first.
“As for the second motion (on the issue of bail), I don’t even want to talk about it, at least not at this stage,” Nyako held.
The court subsequently adjourned till February 16 to hear the pending application.
At yesterday’s trial, and contrary to the order of the judge, the IPOB leader was brought to court by the Department of State Security Service(DSS) in the same Fendi designer cloth, the judge said should be changed
Prosecution counsel, Labaran, however, told the court that Kanu was the one that chose to wear the same cloth.
“My Lord, based on your order yesterday, we provided the defendant with a new orthopaedic mattress, pillows and blankets. As for his appearance, he chose to wear this particular one because he said that it is designers.”
Kanu’s lead counsel, Ozekhome responded: “My Lord what happened was that by the time proceedings ended yesterday, and because it was not his visiting day, we were not able to pass to him some clothes we obtained for him. We even discussed it with him this morning and he said that on the next visiting day he would want to have the new clothes.”
He, however, commended the DSS for providing the IPOB leader with new mattress and pillows.
Also, family members of the Biafran leader, including a nursing mother were in the court room. A representative of the British High Commissioner was also allowed into the court room.
