The charges are baseless and ridiculous: Squash all of them - Nnamdi Kanu charges Nigerian court [Full Details of court proceedings]

The charges are baseless and ridiculous: Squash all of them - Nnamdi Kanu charges Nigerian court [Full Details of court proceedings]

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has charged a federal high court in Abuja, headed by Justice Binta Nyako to squash all the charges preferred against him by the Nigerian government, because they are baseless.

Speaking in court on Tuesday, January 10, through his counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanu said all the six-count charges against Kanu were baseless.

Ejiofor who brought applications before the court also said his client’s relatives and visitors were either being harassed or arrested by security agents in Kuje prison.

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Kanu’s counsel alleged threat and intimidation to his personal life and that of his family by members of the Department of State Securities.

The prosecuting counsel was subsequently given two days to respond to the fresh applications fro Kanu's lawyers. 

Meanwhile, having heard his notice to make applications before the court, the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako in her ruling said all applications before the court will be taken together and ruling subsequently given on the matter in two days.

Adjourning the matter to Thursday, January 12, the trial judge said by the end of hearing on the applications, two things are bound to happen.

"It is either we continue on the trial or we squash the charges as applied,” Nyako said.

 At the commencement of the kangaroo trial against Kanu and three others, Ejiofor also told the court that on several occasions members of IPOB and relatives of the defendants have been harassed and arrested by security officials during their visit to Kanu in Kuje prison.

He also said he suspects that those arrested have been killed by the security operatives.


Also, concurring to Ejiofor, counsel to the third defendant, Barrister Maxwell Opara said the security operatives have harassed him personally as a lawyer.

"Many times, the DSS will ask you for your name, your thumb print, they even asked for my village address, a lawyer, my lord," Opara said.

"My lord, this is just a criminal trial, all this unnecessary tension is uncalled for.

"You go to the prison to see your client by 9am and you will not see him until 12 noon," Opara said.


However, in her reaction Nyako said: "From day one I told you this is not a drama point, I don't want drama."

"If you have a personal problem with security operatives and bring it formally and I will make a legal pronouncement on it.

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"If they have been misbehaving in the prison when you go to see your client, you let me know formally and I'll will contact them legally.

"But you have nothing formally on these allegations, I cannot do it for you because if I do, I have taking a position on the matter," Nyako said.

Kanu’s trial commenced today, January 10, before Justice Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

During the trial, the witnesses, defendants, judge and counsels to both parties were shielded behind a blue screen guard.

Members of the public seated in the court could only hear voices and correspondence between all parties involved but could not see their faces.