The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the treason trial of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu till December 5, 2017, after the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako failed to appear in court.
Justice Nyako’s absence was due to her appearance at the “All Judges’ Conference” being held at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja on Monday, November 20.
Kanu failed to appear again just as he had during the last hearing on October 17, an act which had prompted Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to beg the court to be discharged as Kanu’s surety, an application that was turned down until the IPOB leader appears before the court.
The outspoken leader of the separatist group has not been seen in public since September 14 after the military’s alleged invasion of his father’s home in Umuahia.
During the court hearing on October 17, Kanu’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said, “The Nigerian Army invaded his house and killed 28 people. I do not even know if he is alive or dead. The soldiers are in a better position to tell us.”
The government has always maintained that Kanu has gone into hiding to avoid prosecution with other rumours circulating that he might have even escaped to the United Kingdom.
Other defendants standing trial against charges of conspiracy and treasonable felony: David Nwawuisi, Benjamin Madubugwu, and Chidiebere Onwudiwe were all present in court on Monday.
While condemning Kanu’s failure to appear as a “a grave violation of the order of this court”, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, had urged Justice Nyako on October 17 to revoke his bail and order the three sureties that facilitated his release to “show cause why the bail bond of N100m entered into by each shall not be forfeited or they be committed to prison.”
Of the three sureties, only Senator Abaribe was present in court on Monday.
Kanu was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2015 and he spent two years in custody until he was granted bail on health grounds in April 2017.
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The bail was granted bail by Justice Nyako on Tuesday, April 25, with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Jewish High Chief Priest, Immanuu-El Shalom Okabemadu and a Chartered Accountant resident in Abuja, Tochukwu Uchendu, signing his bail bond.
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