Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra to January 19.
This came as Kanu’s counsel staged a walk-out over the refusal of the operatives of the Department of State Services to allow the entire team access into the courtroom on Wednesday.
Kanu was brought into the courtroom around 9:52am.
When his case was called up, Kanu bemoaned the refusal of security agents to allow other members of his legal team, including his US-based lawyer, Bruce Fein, to access the courtroom.
The IPOB leader told the court that Mr. Fein, who was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial.
He said, “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 told the Judge that he was not ready to conduct the proceedings by himself in the absence of his lawyers.
Counsel to the FG, M. D. Abubakar, who is the Director of Public Prosecution, urged the court to proceed with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.
Abubakar told the court that ordinarily, the matter was fixed for hearing of an application that was filed by the defendant.
According to him, since Kanu’s lead counsel, 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.
Nyako expressed her displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers, but declined to dismiss the pending application.
She adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.
