Jan. 19, 2022

…Says charges unmeritorious, should be thrown out by the court

The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, challenged the terrorism charge filed by the Federal Government .

Kanu, through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, told the trial Judge, Justice Binta Nyako that the amended 15-count charge preferred against his client was unmeritorious and should be thrown out by the court.

The senior lawyer urged the court not to waste its judicial time on the matter because the charges were watery.

Earlier, the counsel to the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment of Kanu and prayed the court to allow the defendant take his plea.

After the 15 counts bordering on terrorism were read to the IPOB leader and he pleaded not guilty, Labaran said the prosecution was ready for trial as two witnesses were already in court.

But Ozekhome objected to the request that the trial should commence.

He argued that a preliminary objection, asking the court to quash the charges had been filed after studying the charges.

He said the whole counts were incompetent and could not stand the test of time.

The lawyer, who argued that the case was already dead on arrival, argued that the defence motion should be taken before commencing the trial in order not to waste the judicial time of the court.

Justice Nyako fixed Feb. 16 for hearing the preliminary objection.(NAN)