UPDATED: IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu gives court conditions to stand trial

The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, listed conditions to be met by the Federal government before he would submit himself for trial in the treasonable felony charge preferred against him.

 

Kanu told the Abuja division of the Federal High Court that he would not oppose the acceleration of his trial once the conditions he enumerated were fulfilled.

 

Led by his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader demanded the restoration of the bail that was earlier granted to him by the court.

 

He insisted that his continued detention in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, has hampered his ability to effectively prepare his defense to all the allegations the FG leveled against him.

 

Kanu further argued that his bail was erroneously revoked by the court based on a false and fraudulent misrepresentation of facts by FG.

 

Insisting that he never violated any of his bail conditions prior to the time that security agents invaded his home, Kanu, urged the court to set aside the warrant of arrest that was subsequently issued against him over the false claim that he jumped bail and escaped from the country.

 

It was equally his demand that he should be granted unhindered access to his lawyers as required by law.

 

Alternatively, Kanu, in another application, prayed the court to order that he should be transferred from the custody of the DSS to either prison or be placed on a house arrest.

 

“My lord, we seek the transfer of the defendant from DSS’ detention to a house arrest or other similar places of custody or similar law enforcement agency’s custody.

 

“It is important to do so, my lord. The application did not arrive in a vacuum. We made it orally and were directed to put it into writing. We are offering solutions to assist accelerate hearing ordered by the court.

 

“It is not strange to have a defendant detained in a house arrest. Sambo Dasuki and El-Zaky Zaky have enjoyed this in the past,” Ejimakor argued.

 

But in opposing the application, the Federal government represented by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, asked the court to reject the conditions on the ground that they are frivolous, vexatious, irritating and baseless.

 

The prosecution argued that the trial court had earlier rejected a fresh bail application that was filed by the defendant.

 

Awomolo argued that since the bail request was dismissed, the trial court longer had the requisite jurisdiction to revisit the matter as it would amount to sitting on appeal to overrule its own decision.

 

He insisted that the only option open to Kanu was for him to take the issue before the Court of Appeal.

 

More so, FG argued that it was not in the position of the defendant to dictate how his trial should be conducted or to list conditions the court must met before he would be tried.

 

It, therefore, asked the court to dismiss the applications as frivolous and time wasting.

 

But before adjourning the matter to May 20, Justice Binta Nyako asked Kanu to choose between having his trial adjourned sine-die (indefinitely) or to allow the prosecution to open its case by calling the first witness..