Supreme Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will spend the yuletide season of 2021 in detention.
This follows the adjournment of his hearing to January 18, 2022 by
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Daily Report Nigeria can recall that Kanu’s trial was earlier fixed for January 19, 2022 before an emergency appearance in court was fixed for Thursday, December 2.
According to a member of the legal team for the Nigerian government, the emergency hearing was influenced by the a plea by South East leaders on President Muhammadu Buhari to grant the embattled IPOB leader unconditional release.
Also, Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had submitted an application seeking an order of the court to bring forward the trial in November and December 2020 against the January 19, 2022 date.
However, counsel for the Federal Government, Shuaib Labaran, told the court that a counter affidavit opposing the request by Ekiofor has been filed and served on Kanu.
Justice Nyako however cut in and informed Kanu’s lawyer that the application for time abridgment cannot be considered because there is no judicial time for such an issue.
In the drama that ensued, the case diary of the court was read to the lawyer to establish that the court has other cases to attend to.
However, following the insistence, Justice Nyako agreed to shift other cases slated for January 18 to accommodate the trial which will last till January 19 and 20.
Justice Nyako ordered DSS to allow Kanu to practice his faith, change his clothes, and be given the maximum possible comfort in the detention facility.
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