Kanu pleads ‘not guilty’ to fresh terrorism charges.. case adjourned till Feb 16

January 19, 2022
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Embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has pleaded not guilty to the 15-count treasonable felony charges preferred against him by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

While entering his plea at the resumed hearing before Justice Binta Nyako on Wednesday, Kanu said he was innocent of all the allegations levelled against him by the FG.

His lawyers also noted that some of the amended charges against the Biafran agitator were similar and should be struck out.

Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), while arguing that his client should be discharged and acquitted, told the court that he had already filed a 43-paged Preliminary Objection for the charges to be quashed and struck out without the matter proceeding to trial

“We are further asking that the defendant should be discharged and acquitted as there is nothing in this charge. It has no basis at all.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu lays curse on politicians who blame IPOB for their crimes

“We also have a motion requesting the court to grant bail to the defendant,” Ozekhome said.

But the lawyer representing the Federal Government, Shuaibu Labaran, argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, and asked for time to go through them so as to be able to make am appropriate response.

“In essence, business of the day cannot be allowed to be truncated by these applications”, he argued.

In her ruling, Justice Nyako said since Kanu’s first application was challenging the propriety of his trial as well as the competence of the charges against him, the court ought to hear it first.

She subsequently adjourned the case till February 16 to hear the pending application by Kanu’s legal team.

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