Nnamdi Kanu to defend himself as his legal team withdraws from trial
by Tawheed Yakub, Abuja
The embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that he will now defend himself in his ongoing trial after his entire legal team, led by senior advocate Kanu Agabi (SAN), formally withdrew from representing him.
During Thursday’s court session, Agabi announced the team’s withdrawal, stating that Kanu had chosen to personally handle his defence. Other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on the team also confirmed their withdrawal from the case.
When asked by the presiding judge whether he would like the court to assign him a lawyer, Kanu declined, saying he preferred to proceed on his own for now though he may consider engaging new counsel at a later stage.
Read also: Police arrest Omoyele Sowore at Federal High Court after #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest
Defending himself orally, Kanu challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the charges against him, arguing that the trial lacks legal foundation.
Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015 and fled Nigeria after securing bail in 2017, was re-arrested in 2021 and has since remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The federal government continues to prosecute him on charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism, accusing him of inciting violence through IPOB’s separatist campaigns and calling for the secession of Nigeria’s South-East region.
In a fresh application filed before the court on Tuesday, Kanu indicated readiness to proceed with his defence, revealing plans to call two sets of witnesses “ordinary but material witnesses” and “vital and compellable” witnesses, as provided under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.
Read also: Justice Binta Nyako to withdraw from Nnamdi Kanu’s trial
Prominent figures listed among the “vital and compellable” witnesses include Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.), former Minister of Defence; Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), former Chief of Army Staff; Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State; Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State; and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Others named are Okezie Ikpeazu, former Governor of Abia State; Dave Umahi, Minister of Works; Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation; Ahmed Rufai, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Yusuf Bichi, former DSS Director-General; and Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, the current DSS boss.
Kanu further requested that the court grant him 90 days to conclude his defence, citing the number of witnesses and the complexity of the evidence he intends to present.
The case is expected to continue in the coming weeks as the court considers Kanu’s fresh submissions and the government’s response.
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