Kanu’s Trial Adjourned Till January 19, 2022 As His Team Of Lawyers Staged Walkout

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the trial of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu till January 19, 2022.

This was as team of defence lawyers for Kanu staged a walk-out over what they described as 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 court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako at about 9.52am, lamented 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 shortly after his case was called up.

Kanu told Justice Nyako that Fein, who was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial, saying; “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 said while in the dock.

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

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

Abubakar told Justice Nyako that the matter was fixed for the hearing of an application that was filed by the defendant, adding 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.

The trial judge while delivering a short ruling, expressed displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers but refused to dismiss the pending application.

Accordingly, Justice Nyako adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.