10 things that happened at Nnamdi Kanu's botched trial today

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu

The scheduled trial of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's at the Federal High Court, Abuja today was botched and adjourned. 

After Kanu was brought back from Kenya under yet-to-be clarified circumstances by agents of the Federal Government in late June, he was arraigned before the FHC, Abuja for the continuation of his trial. But the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, fixed July 26th for the continuation of the trial since his lawyers were not present in court on that day. However one of his lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said he was not informed by the prosecution about the planned arraignment of his client at that time. 

Here are 10 things that happened today in court as the trial was set to resume:

1. Kanu's scheduled trial at FHC Abuja did not hold because the DSS did not produce him in court.

2. When asked about the whereabouts of Kanu by the presiding Justice Binta Nyako, the DSS said they could not produce him in court due to "logistics difficulties", said Mr. Aloy Ejimakor (Kanu's lawyer).

3. Nyako said the trial would never continue in Kanu's absence, and adjourned the hearing to October 21, 2021.

4. Kanu's lawyers already filed an application requesting that he be transferred from DSS custody to the correctional center. But when Ejimakor drew Justice Nyako's attention to the application, she said the trial would not continue until Kanu was present in court.

5. Justice Nyako also ordered the DSS to grant Kanu access to his lawyers twice a week: Mondays and Thursdays.

6. Justice Nyako also said that if any issue came up during the court's vacation period requiring the attention of the court, her staff should be contacted, so that she would seek the permission of the Chief Judge of the FHC, for a vacation judge to grant them hearing, said Ejimakor.

7. Contrary to expectations, the charges against Kanu were not amended by the court. This means that no new charges have been filed against him by the prosecution.

8. Mr. Ejimakor says the DSS stopped Kanu from signing "consular assistance" forms when he took the forms to him in their custody. As a Brition, the British Government required Kanu to sign those forms so that they can provide him consular assistance during the trial. 

9. Omoyele Sowore was arrested by the DSS at the court premises this morning, but was released later in the day. He was making a Facebook Live video at the time of the arrest.

10. The DSS selectively granted access to press outfits that came to cover the trial. While they barred The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Tribune, Daily Sun, The Cable, Daily Times and The Punch from covering the trial, they allowed Daily Post, ThisDay, Premium Times, The Nation, Daily Independent, The Herald, National Television Authority, Television Continental, African Independent Television and Channels Television

Credit: The Punch

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