Nnamdi Kanu plead not guilty to terrorism charges as trial begin afresh
Nnamdi Kanu don plead not guilty to terrorism charges wey Nigeria goment sama am as im trial begin afresh on Friday.
Di trial of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) start afresh for di Federal High Court in Abuja, afta Kanu ask Justice Binta Nyako to withdraw hersef from di matter wen e accuse her of partiality.
Na Justice James Omotosho dey in charge of dis case now.
Nigeria goment dey accuse Kanu of terrorism and attempts to bring down goment, sake of di activities of Ipob, a group wey dey agitate to break away from di south eastern region of Nigeria to become independent kontri wey im name go be Biafra.
Goment bin don declare di group as terrorist organisation in 2017.
Kanu chief defense counsel Aloy Ejimakor bin post on X last week say "we dey primed and ready" for di trial.
Wetin happen for court today
At di resumed hearing, Kanu plead not guilty to di seven counts of terrorism against am.
Justice Omotosho grant accelerated hearing for di matter as e don drag on for 10 years come adjourn di case to to 29 April, 2nd and 6th May 2025 for trial to start.
Also earlier for court on Friday, Kanu Agabi, a former Attorney General of di federation wey be one of Nnamdi Kanu lawyers wen di matter bin go to di Supreme Court bin don apologise for Kanu outburst against Binta Nyako.
"Im bin dey angry and e no suppose tok out of anger. I apologise to Justice Binta Nyako, I apologise to di prosecution course Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, and I also apologise to Nnamdi Kanu own lawyers, bicos im bin no spare anybodi dat day."
Responding to di apology, counsel of di federal government, Awomolo (SAN), say im don forgive Kanu, as im no be persecutor but di prosecutor and dem go always make sure say dem do dia due diligence.
Also, di presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, apologise on behalf of Nnamdi Kanu.
E say im notice as e dey go thru di case file say wen dem first arraign di defendant for 2015, im bin dey 47 years and now e dey 57.
E say di defendant anger dey justified bicos e suppose dey vex say di case don last for 10 years and e no be like say e dey go anywhere.
Kanu case dey start again becos wen a new judge take over a case wey bin din dey go on, e no matter how far di case bin don go, di matter go start again from di beginning.
And di beginning na di arraignment, wia dem go read out di charges for di person to plead guilty or not guilty.
Di charges bin dey 15 but di former Judge, Binta Nyako, bin strike out eight of dem.
Dis na di remaining seven charges:
- Count 1: Say you Nnamdi Kanu as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to intimidate di population.
- Count 2: Say you Nnamdi Kanu as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to threaten members of di public wit sit at home order.
- Count 3: Say you Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia you declare your sef as member and leader of Ipob, group wey Nigeria goment don ban.
- Count 4: Say you Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia you encourage members of di public to kill Nigeria security officers.
- Count 5: Say you Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia you encourage di public to attack officers of di Nigeria police force.
- Count 6: Say you Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia you encourage members of di public to burn down evri federal goment facilty for Lagos wey lead to major economic loss to federal goment.
- Count 7: Say you Nnamdi Kanu import Radio transmitter known as Tram 50L and hide am inside container for Ubulisiuzor for Ihiala Local government area of Anambra state.
So, afta Kanu plead guilty or not guilty, di prosecution fit ask for di trial to resume but di defence team dey likely to apply for bail for Kanu bicos na wetin dem bin don dey try to achieve for a long time wen Binta Nyako dey in charge of di case.
Nyako bin insist say Kanu bin jump bail in 2017 afta e run from Nigeria wen she bin grant am bail on health grounds, but Kanu lawyers maintain say e no jump bail rather e run for im life.
Brief background
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
As di leader of di secessionist group Ipob, Kanu, wey bin base for London, dey always talk about how di south east region suppose pull out for Nigeria and be dia own kontri.
Im major platform na Radio Biafra wey also dey based for London, Britain, and im social media platforms.
For October 2015, men of di Department of State Services, DSS, bin first arrest am as e come into Nigeria. Dat time na wen Muhammadu Buhari be president of Nigeria.
Goment charge am to court for treason - togeda wit four oda pipo - ontop accuse say e dey use im Radio Biafra to dey talk tins wey fit destabilise Nigeria and bring down goment.
Kanu dey remanded for prison for Kuje, Abuja until April 2017 wen justice Binta Nyako grant am bail bicos say im health bin dey fail, but she attach conditions say make Kanu no address di press and make e no dey for gathering of pipo wey pass 10.
Di bail dey in di sum of N100 million wit three sureties, one of dem go be pesin wey im position high for goment; current Abia State senator Enyinnaya Abaribe na one of di pipo we stand surety for Kanu dat time.
Kanu go later disappear from di public afta e tok say soldiers bin attack im house to kill am during one security operation wey dem call Operation Python Dance.
Dat attack, according to Kanu, and di trauma wey follow am, na im lead to di death of im papa and mama wey bin die within two months of each oda - in October and December of 2019 respectively.
Kanu later reappear in October 2018 wen pictures and videos show wia e go pray for di Western Wall of Jerusalem wey be one of di holy sites for Judaism, di religion wey Kanu dey identify wit.
E later return to London and continue im agitation for Biafra, until June 2021 wen security forces bin seize am for Kenya and bring am back to Nigeria by force.
Im case continue again bifor Justice Binta Nyako wey bin don revoke di bail she bin grant Kanu for 2017.
Goment file amended 15-count charges against Kanu wey e plead not guilty to, but Nyako later comot eight of di charges say dem no get head.
Kanu lawyers, dat time wey dey led by Mike Ozekhome a senior advocate of Nigeria, carry di matter go Court of Appeal as dem claim say di lower court suppose strike out all di charges.
Di appeal court agree wit dem and strike out all di charges, but goment appeal to di Supreme Court wey overturn di judgement and say make di matter return to di High Court.
