The Federal High Court in Abuja has again given the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, till November 7 to defend the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government or waive his right to do so.
This is as Kanu stood his ground in open court on Wednesday,
insisting that there were no valid terrorism charges against him and that he
would offer no defense to the one filed.
Justice James Omotosho, who offered Kanu another
opportunity, said he granted the fresh chance in the interest of justice, both
to the defendant and to the nation.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, when Kanu was called to open his
defense, he instead faulted the charges, insisting that he had nothing to
defend under a repealed law.
Rather than responding to the business of the day, he spent
hours addressing the court on why the charges against him could not stand.
Among other arguments, he said that the Supreme Court, in
the judgment that ordered his trial, made it abundantly clear that the federal
government must amend the charge because the one against him had been repealed.
He said that up till now, the charge had not been amended by
the prosecution, thereby violating the order of the apex court.
Kanu persistently insisted that the refusal of the federal
government to amend the charge was fatal to his trial, adding that no trial
could hold under a repealed law.
“Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed.
I cannot put in defense under a repealed law. I won’t do that,” he said.
At this point, Justice Omotosho reminded him of the need to
keep his gunpowder dry, but Kanu declined, maintaining that he had not seen any
reason to open his defense in the instant charge.
At a point, he agreed to open his defense but said he would
need to consult with his four legal consultants.
He named Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara,
and Mandela Umegborogu as his four legal consultants.
Based on this, the judge repeated his plea to Kanu to
consult with legal practitioners conversant with criminal laws to aid his
defense.
Earlier, counsel to the federal government, Adegboyega
Awomolo (SAN), had requested the judge to stand on the order of the court that
Kanu should open his defense or waive his right to do so.
Justice Omotosho, however, said that he was inclined to bend
backward again to give Kanu another opportunity to have a rethink, to open his
defense or forget it.
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