A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out eight out of the 15 counts filed against Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by the Nigerian government.
Kanu is being held by the Department of State Services (DSS) at its headquarters in Abuja, after the Nigerian government repatriated him from Kenya in June 2021, an action his lawyers termed “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional extradition”.
He is standing trial on charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism before the court.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Binta Nyako struck out counts 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 filed against Kanu by the Nigerian government.
He is to stand trial on counts 1,2,3,4,5,8 and 15.
Mike Ozekhome, Kanu’s lead counsel had described the charges as “defective and baseless”.
He said his application seeks the “quashing, striking out and dismissing of the 15-count amended charge” for being “incompetent and denying the court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit”.
The application, premised on 34 grounds and supported by a 36-paragraph affidavit, is also seeking an order acquitting and discharging Kanu.
Ozekhome adopted his application and asked the court to strike out the entire charge.
However, Shuaibu Labaran, the prosecution counsel, asked the court to dismiss the defendant’s application. Continue Reading
