The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday witnessed a series of drama as the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned the case of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) till January 19 2021.
Nnamdi Kanu is currently detained in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) over a seven-count treasonable felony charge preferred against him by the federal government.
The drama started with journalists being barred from entering the court room to witness the IPOB’s leader trial.
“We are working on instruction. We can’t let you people in”, one of the operatives told newsmen.
The legal team of Kanu however staged a walkout before the Court commenced its proceedings.
According to the lawyers, there protest was in response to the refusal of the operatives of the DSS to allow them access to Kanu in their custody.
Kanu also in a video obtained by NewsWireNGR was seen protesting the development especially as he was seen complaining the blockage of some of his legal team from entering the court room.
Kanu, told the court that his lawyer, Mr Bruce Fein, whom he said was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial.
The embattled IPOB leader, who was brought into the courtroom around 9:52am, had shortly after his case was called up, decried that security agents blocked some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the United State of America, Mr Bruce Fein, from entering the courtroom.
“My counsel from the United State is not allowed to come in.
“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 said from the dock.
Although the presiding judge, Justice Nyako, was displeased by the walkout of Kanu’s legal team, she declined to disminss the pending application and rather adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.
“We will forget the application and let it lie there in the file. I am not going to make a pronouncement on the action of the defence team.
“Staging a walkout on the court is a very serious offence”, she added.
Justice Nyako however advised: “It is in your best interest to discuss with your lawyers over their attitude so that we can make progress in this matter”.
Meanwhile, speaking to newsmen immediately the proceeding ended, Kanu’s lead counsel, Ejiofor, who was flanked by members of his team, including the lawyer from US, Fein, alleged bias.
Ejiofor maintained that it was wrong for the trial Judge to proceed with the matter without enquiring into what led to the walkout.
“I have not seen where lawyers will stage a walkout from the court in protest of what we considered to be an abnormality. What the court should do is to invite the lead counsel to know what was going on and not to adjourn the case.
“If the court decides to go on with the case without us being a part of it, then, it simply means that we have lost confidence in the court and the court should naturally disqualify itself”, he added.
The walkout was not the only drama in the court premises as anti-IPOB protesters clashed with Nnamdi Kanu;s supporters.
Shortly after Kanu’s supporters converged on the highway overlooking the court premises, chanting and singing his praise, anti-IPOB protesters numbering about 100, arrived the scene with two white coffins, waving the national flag.
Boldly written on the coffin and a banner the anti-IPOB protesters arrived the scene with, was, “IPOB dead”, “Kanu is a terrorist, he killed many security agents”.
The matter was however contained by the team of security operatives in the court premises.
