Justice Binta Nyako don threaten say she go adjourn Nnamdi Kanu matter ‘sine die’ if im lawyers no dey ready for trial to start.
Nyako also fix May 20 to rule on whether e go transfer Nnamdi Kanu to house arrest.
For di court on Wednesday, Kanu lawyer Aloy Ejimakor tok say dem neva still get “unhindered access” to dia client.
“Our access to am dey chaperone and restricted up to 30 minutes per counsel individually. We no fit enta wit any writing materials so we no fit take notes, our conversations dey recorded all di time, so we dey apply make our client dey transferred to home detention or house arrest,” Ejimakor tok.
Ejimakor also apply make Justice Nyako restore di bail wey she bin grant Kanu in 2017, especially as Supreme Court agree say Kanu no jump bail but e run for im life.
However, counsel to di Federal goment, Adegboyega Awomolo, oppose both applications on di grounds say di court bin don rule on di matter and e no get jurisdiction to overrule imsef.
“Di option open to di defendant na to take di matter to appeal,” Awomolo tok.
Justice Nyako den fix May 20 to decide on di issue, but she insist say di trial must resume and ask di prosecution to call dia first witness.
Ejimakor tok say dem no prepare Kanu for trial sake of say dem no get conducive environment to hold brief.
Justice Nyako vex for Ejimakor and threaten say she go adjourn di matter indefinitely.
“Either di prosecution call dem first witness, I fit adjourn for cross-examination, or if you tok say you no dey ready for trial, I go adjourn dis case sine die until when you dey ready.
“But know say if di matter dey adjourned sine die, your client go remain for custody,” Nyako tok.
She adjourn di matter for 10 minutes make Kanu tok wit im lawyers small bifor hearing go resume.
Wetin happun for di last hearing
On di last adjourned date, March 19, Justice Nyako deny Kanu bail application and also refuse to transfer am to Kuje correctional facility from di custody of di Department of State Services wia im currently dey.
For dat hearing, Kanu bin allege say di DSS dey treat am poorly, dem no gree allow am beta medical care, and dem dey monitor im conversation wit im lawyers.
“My Lord, how I go fit face trial under dis circumstances? Dem wan make I die for dat DSS custody, abeg send me to Kuje,” Kanu bin beg Justice Nyako.
E even comot im shirt for inside courtroom to show di judge boils wey dey im body, but Justice Nyako still refuse am.
She tok say she go keep Kanu wherever she believe go dey safer for am, as she add say plenty terrorism suspects bin don escape from Kuje.
Also Kanu lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor bin complain bitterly of di “inhumane treatment” wey di DSS dey carry follow dem whenever dem come visit Kanu for im cell.
Ejimakor allege say DSS personnel dey “almost strip us naked to search for wetin we no know, dem no dey allow us hold joint briefings with our client rather na one by one, dem put cameras and recorders all over di place so we no fit get privacy to tok wit our client”.
To all di allegations, Justice Nyako tok say she bin don order di DSS to treat Kanu well, and if dem no dey obey di order, Kanu lawyers suppose file formal complaint against dem.
Brief background
Di case start for 2015 wen Nigeria goment arrest Kanu sake of accusaton say e dey call for di breakaway of Biafra and dey incite violence for di kontri.
Dem charge Kanu to court and di court detain am for Kuje prison for more dan a year bifor dem grant am bail based on im health condition.
However, Kanu run comot for Nigeria afta soldiers bin invade im home for Umuahia, Abia State, in 2017.
E later go back London wia im continue to dey use im Radio Biafra to dey do broadcasts and even launch an armed wing of Ipob wey im name na ‘Eastern Security Network’ (ESN)
Na for Kenya security personnel re-arrest am in June 2021 and bring am back come Nigeria.
Di charges against Kanu bin dey 15 but court strike eight of dem comot.
Kanu lawyers bin take di mata go Court of Appeal wia a three man panel wey Justice Jummai Hanatu lead bin clear Kanu of all di charges and discharge am, but di Supreme Court nullify dat judgement and rule say Kanu must to face trial.
- ‘I dey die for DSS hand’ – Nnamdi Kanu pull shirt for court say make dem transfer am to prison
- Federal High Court strike out eight of 15 charges against Nnamdi Kanu
- Nigeria goment issue new guidelines for terrorism ahead of Nnamdi Kanu case
