They say he who goes to equity must do so with clean hands. The on-going trial of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu has drawn reactions from all over the country and even beyond. The Federal Government on Monday, entered fresh terrorism allegations against the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. The Federal Government, in the amended process it filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, increased the counts in the initial charge it preferred against Kanu.
The IPOB leader who was hitherto facing a seven-count treasonable felony charge, entered his fresh plea to a 15-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, M. B. Abubakar. The Federal Government amended the charge, barely 24 hours to the scheduled commencement of hearing by trial Justice Binta Nyako.
The court had on December 2, fixed Tuesday to hear some pending applications, including the one Kanu filed to be discharged and acquitted. The detained leader of the Indegenious People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the fresh amended 15-count treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him. However, Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, 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.
On his part, FG’s lawyer, Labaran, argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, stressing that he would require time to go through them so as to be able to respond.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako noted that since Kanu’s first application is challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charge against him, the court ought to hear it first. This brings to fore a déjà vu feeling by the prosecution when they filed the fresh charges against Nnamdi Kanu barely 24 hours before the Tuesday sitting with the lead defence counsel asking for time to go through the charges.
The court subsequently adjourned till February 16 to hear the pending application. In another matter, an Umuahia High Court ordered the Federal Government and the Nigeria Army to pay the sum of N1billion to the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu for invading his house in September 2017.
The federal government and the Army were also ordered to apologise to Kanu for the violation of his Fundamental Rights. Justice Benson Anya made the order while delivering judgment on the suit filed by Kanu against the federal government, the Army and others.
Going by bthe trial proceedings on Nnamdi Kanu, why the constant amendment of charges on the IPOB leader by the prosecution team, the Ministry of Justice and the federal government, when on Tuesday, 18th January, Mike Ozekhome disclosed that amendment of charges against the IPOB leader have been done about six times?
Going by the already tense and sensitive nature of this case, should caution not be applied given the fact that what we are dealing with is a political matter involving a geopolitical zone and a race that has severally and constantly complained of socio-political marginalization? Justice Binta Nyako previously cautioned the Department of State Services-DSS for not allowing the IPPOB leader a change of clothes. It was noticeable on Wednesday that Nnamdi Kanu appeared in Court in the same clothing he was clad in the previous day.
If that simple order was flouted by an agency who is supposed to be an enforcer of the law including orders, rulings and injunctions by the judiciary, is it on other matters that borders around general comfort and welfare that will receive attention to the benefit of Nnamdi Kanu? Why is nobody talking about the Umuahia judgment which stood in favour of Nnamdi Kanu?
News Echo wonders if the 2021 Aso Villa visit of some Igbo elders to the Presidency to prevail on him to release Nnamdi Kanu have not yielded the desired result despite the somewhat positive response of the president? However, Muhammudu Buhari forgot about that visit and what he said to the likes of Mbazulike Amaechi, discountenancing his positive consideration on the matter by when he disclosed in an interview last week that Nnamdi Kanu should answer for his activities especially when he was out of the country.
News Echo posits that while it is good for all merits of the case to be subjected to fair trial for or against Nnamdi Kanu, it is also better for the President to go back to the visit of the Igbo elders in 2021 and fashion out a political solution. President Buhari needs to understand that for Nnamdi Kanu, it is not just an individual going against the nation. It is about the yearnings of a zone needing justice, fairness and equity. It is a political problem and therefore requires a political solution which only the President can solve. For the sake of the future of Nigeria!
