Nnamdi Kanu: Court strikes out suit demanding prosecution of Abaribe, Fani-Kayode

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has struck out a case seeking to ensure the prosecution of former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, over the disappearance of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr Kanu who is facing trial for alleged treason disappeared in September 2017, five months after he was granted bail by the court presided over by a judge, Binta Nyako.

About 13 months after his disappearance, in October 2018, Mr Kanu was seen in a video suspected to have been shot in Israel.

While the news media was awash with news of Mr Kanu’s reappearance, Mr Fani-Kayode, a popular critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, took to his Twitter handle to welcome the re-emergence of Mr Kanu whom he said would help in ensuring the removal of Mr Buhari.

In a reaction to the comment, a Nigerian, Isaiah Ayugu, approached the high court to demand the prosecution of Mr Kanu and a senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who had undertaken to be a surety for Mr Kanu.

The applicant also demanded the prosecution of Mr Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who had accused the Nigerian Army of abducting and possibly assassinating Mr Kanu.

In their response to the suit, Messrs Abaribe and Fani-Kayode described the application as an abuse of court process, citing the other ongoing cases related to the instant application.

According to a report by Vanguard newspaper, the court presided over by a judge, John Tsoho, dismissed the suit on Tuesday, for the failure of the applicant to respond to preliminary objection describing his case as an abuse of court process.

Mr Ayugu’s application had been brought by his lawyer, Oghenevo Otemu.