BIAFRA: COURT ORDERS SSS TO PRODUCE NNAMDI KANU
A Magistrates’ Court in Abuja has
ordered the Department of the State
Security Service (DSS) to produce the
leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu unfailingly before
the court on Monday, November 23.
Kanu is expected to answer criminal
charge brought against him by the
federal government at the next
adjourned date.
The Chief Magistrate, Shauibu Usman,
gave the order yesterday following the
absence of the accused in court when
the trial was to commence.
The DSS had refused to bring Kanu to
court yesterday despite an order made
on October 23 to that effect.
Usman insisted that no trial can
continue in a criminal case in the
absence of the accused, adding that the
only condition that can make a court to
excuse the absence of an accused has
not come up.
The magistrate’s decision was sequel to
a claim by the prosecuting lawyer, Mr.
Moses Idakwo, that the accused person
was not brought to court because the
application challenging the jurisdiction
of the court to continue the trial was
slated for hearing.
Idakwo told the court that as soon as
the motion challenging the jurisdiction of
the court has been resolved, the DSS
will now produce the accused by the
court.
However, the submission of Idakwo did
not go down well with Magistrate
Usman who reminded the prosecutor
that on October 23, he made an order
that the accused must at all time be
brought to court throughout the trial.
Apart from the absence of the accused
in court that stalled the trial, two legal
practitioners, Mr. Gabriel Egbule and
Vincent Ezechukwu Obete engaged
themselves in war of words in the open
court on the issue of which side is the
authentic lawyer to the accused person.
Egbule, who first announced his
appearance for the accused person,
informed the court that he represented
the accused person on October 19 when
he was first arraigned and that he was
ready to continue to defend the accused
person.
He produced a letter claimed to have
been written to him by the next of kin of
the accused person appointing him as
lawyer to the accused person.
In his own, Vincent Obete, produced a
letter from the Indigenous People of
Biafra, signed by the deputy director,
Alphonsus Mefor, appointing him as
lawyer.
Besides, Vincent Obete also produced
another letter, dated October 16 from the
father of the accused person, Eze Kanu
of Afara-Ukwu kingdom, also appointing
him as a counsel to defend his son.
Magistrate Usman who intervened in the
issue said that on October 19 when
Kanu was brought before him, the
accused told the court that he had no
lawyer prompting Mr. Gabriel Egbule to
fill the gap
He however told the two lawyers that the
accused person would on Monday
November 23, determine his own lawyer.
Kanu is standing trial on Criminal
conspiracy, managing and belonging to
an unlawful society and criminal
intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B
and 397 of the penal code.
A Magistrates’ Court in Abuja has
ordered the Department of the State
Security Service (DSS) to produce the
leader of the Indigenous People of
Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu unfailingly before
the court on Monday, November 23.
Kanu is expected to answer criminal
charge brought against him by the
federal government at the next
adjourned date.
The Chief Magistrate, Shauibu Usman,
gave the order yesterday following the
absence of the accused in court when
the trial was to commence.
The DSS had refused to bring Kanu to
court yesterday despite an order made
on October 23 to that effect.
Usman insisted that no trial can
continue in a criminal case in the
absence of the accused, adding that the
only condition that can make a court to
excuse the absence of an accused has
not come up.
The magistrate’s decision was sequel to
a claim by the prosecuting lawyer, Mr.
Moses Idakwo, that the accused person
was not brought to court because the
application challenging the jurisdiction
of the court to continue the trial was
slated for hearing.
Idakwo told the court that as soon as
the motion challenging the jurisdiction of
the court has been resolved, the DSS
will now produce the accused by the
court.
However, the submission of Idakwo did
not go down well with Magistrate
Usman who reminded the prosecutor
that on October 23, he made an order
that the accused must at all time be
brought to court throughout the trial.
Apart from the absence of the accused
in court that stalled the trial, two legal
practitioners, Mr. Gabriel Egbule and
Vincent Ezechukwu Obete engaged
themselves in war of words in the open
court on the issue of which side is the
authentic lawyer to the accused person.
Egbule, who first announced his
appearance for the accused person,
informed the court that he represented
the accused person on October 19 when
he was first arraigned and that he was
ready to continue to defend the accused
person.
He produced a letter claimed to have
been written to him by the next of kin of
the accused person appointing him as
lawyer to the accused person.
In his own, Vincent Obete, produced a
letter from the Indigenous People of
Biafra, signed by the deputy director,
Alphonsus Mefor, appointing him as
lawyer.
Besides, Vincent Obete also produced
another letter, dated October 16 from the
father of the accused person, Eze Kanu
of Afara-Ukwu kingdom, also appointing
him as a counsel to defend his son.
Magistrate Usman who intervened in the
issue said that on October 19 when
Kanu was brought before him, the
accused told the court that he had no
lawyer prompting Mr. Gabriel Egbule to
fill the gap
He however told the two lawyers that the
accused person would on Monday
November 23, determine his own lawyer.
Kanu is standing trial on Criminal
conspiracy, managing and belonging to
an unlawful society and criminal
intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B
and 397 of the penal code.
Comments