By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned
The trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been adjourned till January 19, 2022 as his counsel staged a walk out.
Kanu’s team of lawyers, were protesting the refusal of operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow some of them to gain access into the courtroom.
When the matter was called up, the embattled IPOB leader expressed his displeasure over the refusal of security agents to allow some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the the United State of America, Bruce Fein, to enter the courtroom.
The embattled Kanu informed the court that Mr. Fein, who he said was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial, adding Mr Fein was also denied access to the court room in the previous sitting.
“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 stated from the dock.
Responding, Justice Nyako asked if he was ready to conduct the proceedings himself, in the absence of his lawyers, Kanu replied in the negative.
Reacting, counsel to Federal Government, Mr. M. D. Abubakar, urged the court to proceed with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.
Abubakar, who is the Director of Public Prosecution, told the court that ordinarily, the matter was fixed for hearing of an application that was filed by the Defendant.
He argued that since Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. 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.
In a short ruling, though Justice Nyako expressed his displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers.
She declined to dismiss the pending application.
He,however, adjourned the matter till January 19 and 20, 2022, for continuation.
