Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu to January 19, 2022.
The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra on Wednesday.
Before the case of Nnamdi Kanu was adjourned, his team of lawyers had staged a walkout from the courtroom. This was in protest of the refusal by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow some of them access into the courtroom.
The DSS had brought Kanu into the courtroom around 9:50 am. Soon after his case was called up, he lamented the refusal of security operatives to allow some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the United States of America, Bruce Fein, to enter the courtroom.
Kanu told the court that Mr. Fein, who according to him was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial.
Ignoring Kanu’s protest, the judge asked him if he was ready to conduct the proceedings himself in the absence of his lawyers. Replying, the IPOB leader said no.
But the Federal Government’s lawyer, Mohamed Abubakar, who is the Director of Public Prosecution, prayed the court to proceed with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.
He said that ordinarily, the matter was fixed for a hearing of an application that was filed by the defendant.
He went further to argue that since Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. 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, after expressing his displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers, declined to dismiss the pending application.
She then adjourned the matter till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.
Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB group are demanding the creation of Biafra from Nigeria.
He was extradited to Nigeria a few months ago allegedly from Kenya.