Court Adjourns Trial Till October As DSS Fails To Produce Nnamdi Kanu

The Department of State Security (DSS) failed to produce Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), for his scheduled trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday. The trial was stalled not just because of Mr Kanu’s absence from court, but also because the court’s judges’ vacation started on Monday, the trial judge, Binta Nyako, said.

Mrs Nyako adjourned the case till October 21. Earlier, the prosecuting lawyer, M. B Abubakar, informed the judge that Mr Kanu’s absence from the court might be due to “logistical” issues encountered by the SSS, the agency holding him in custody.

Mr Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, however, disputed the prosecution’s claim, claiming that the IPOB leader had been moved out of Abuja. After the military invaded his residence in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, in September, the separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, escaped the country.

Mr Nnamdi Kanu was apprehended and returned to Nigeria in June, over four years after his treasonous felony prosecution was halted due to his absence from the nation. Mr Kanu was ordered to remain in DSS custody by the judge on June 29.

The DSS operatives had taken over the premises and the nearby roads considerably earlier before the hearings started at about 11.10 a.m., so it’s unclear why they didn’t show him in court on Monday.

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