Court orders DSS to produce Biafra agitator, Kanu By Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja

Nnamdi Kanu

AN Abuja Magistrate Court yesterday ordered the
Department of the State Security (DSS) to produce
the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra,
Nnamdi Kanu before it on November 23, 2015 for
his trial on criminal charges preferred against him
by the Federal Government.
When the charge was called up, prosecution
counsel, Moses Idakwo told the court that the
accused was not brought to court because the
business of the day was supposed to be a hearing of
the defence counsel’s preliminary objection
challenging the jurisdiction of the court on the
charge.
Idakwo submitted that as soon as the preliminary
objection was resolved, the DSS will produce the
accused in court.
But the submission did not resonate with
Magistrate Usman, who was quick to remind him of
a subsisting order he made on October 23, 2015
that the accused be brought to court .
Usman ruled that the accused person cannot be
absent in court on the ground of an interlocutory
application, declaring that no trial can continue in
a criminal case in the absence of the accused except
under special and compelling circumstances.
Consequently, he directed the prosecutor to ensure
that the accused is produced in court on November
23.
Meanwhile, a melodrama also played out as two
legal practitioners, Mr. Gabriel Egbule and Vincent
Ezechukwu Obete engaged themselves in war of
words over who was to represent the accused.
Egbule, who first announced his appearance
informed the court that he represented the accuse
on October 19 when he was first .
He produced a letter which he claimed was written
by the next –of-kin of the accused appointing him
his lawyer.
Similarly, Obete produced a letter from the
Indigenous People of Biafra, signed by the deputy
director, Alphonsus Mefor, appointing him as
counsel.
Obete also produced another letter, dated October
16 from the father of the accused, Eze Kanu of
Afara-Ukwu kingdom, also appointing him as
counsel to defend his son.
Usman who intervened in the issue said that on
October 19 when Kanu was brought before him, the
accused told the court that he had no lawyer
prompting Mr. Gabriel Egbule to fill the gap.
However, he told the two lawyers that the accused
would on November 23, determine his own lawyer.
Kanu is standing trial on Criminal conspiracy,
managing and belonging to an unlawful society and
criminal intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B
and 397 of the penal code.
He was alleged to have proclaimed himself as the
leader of the Republic of Biafra and established a
Radio Biafra.
Kanu was also alleged to have appointed himself
Commander of the Loyal Forces of Biafra and was
broadcasting to the whole world the dire
consequences the government and people of
Nigeria will surfer should they attempt to hinder
the actualization of the Republic of Biafra.