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Confusion As Court Adjourns Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial

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Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned till January 19 the trial of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

But 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 some of them to gain access into the courtroom.

Kanu, who was brought into the courtroom around 9.52am, had shortly after his case was called up bemoaned the refusal of security agents to allow some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the United State of America, Bruce Fein, to enter the courtroom.

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

“I have an ongoing case in the US. I have not been allowed to see him. He is here to see me and to observe the proceedings.

“He has been to the DSS to see me, but they denied him access to me,” Kanu stated from the dock.

When asked by the Judge, if he was ready to conduct the proceedings himself, in the absence of his lawyers, Kanu said no.

Meanwhile, counsel to the Federal Government and Director of Public Prosecution, M. D. Abubakar, urged the court to proceed with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.

He told the court that the matter was fixed for the hearing of an application that was filed by the defendant.

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.

Delivering a short ruling, 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.

Kanu is being tried for sedition, treason, among others.

He had jumped bail and fled abroad before he was arrested in July.

As early as 6 am when this reporter arrived at the court which is adjacent to the Federal Ministry of Justice, heavily armed operatives of the DSS ordered him to turn back.

The hooded operatives, who barricaded all routes leading to the court, equally barred both print and broadcast Journalists from major media organizations from entering the court premises.

“We are working on instruction. We can’t let you people in”, one of the operatives told newsmen.

As of 8:23 am when this report was filed in, the operatives had yet to allow any Journalist to gain access to the court premises.

Similarly, some lawyers and Igbo traditional rulers that arrived at the court around 7 am, were also turned back.

Other security agents on ground to ensure that no journalist is allowed into the court, were drawn from the Nigerian Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Officials of the court had after a meeting it held with leaders of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents, NAJUC, on Tuesday, disclosed that Justice Nyako insisted that she would only allow five journalists into the courtroom.

Sequel to their instruction, a five-man list, comprising of journalists from the Print, Television, Radio, and Online news outlets, among whom included this reporter, was submitted to the court.

However, upon arrival at court on Wednesday, DSS operatives refused to allow any journalists in.

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