Court postponed trial of Nnamdi Kanu till Friday
The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), until Friday, October 24, to allow him to begin his defence.
The adjournment came after a dramatic turn of events in which Kanu dismissed his legal team, headed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kanu Agabi.
When the matter was called, Agabi informed the court of his team’s withdrawal, explaining that Kanu had chosen to represent himself. The IPOB leader confirmed this decision, telling the court he was prepared to handle his own defence.
Justice James Omotosho subsequently directed the remaining members of Kanu’s legal team to leave the courtroom and instructed Kanu to commence his case.
Kanu began by challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue with the trial, but Justice Omotosho dismissed the objection and ordered him to proceed with his defence.
At that point, one of Kanu’s former lawyers, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, appealed to the court for an adjournment to give Kanu time to compose himself and prepare.
The judge granted the request and adjourned the case until Friday, October 24, for Kanu to open his defence.
In his defence strategy, Kanu has named 23 witnesses, among them notable Nigerian figures such as Nyesom Wike, Dave Umahi, Theophilus Danjuma, Tukur Buratai, and Hope Uzodinma.
