It took the intervention of his lead counsel, Chief
Chuks Muoma, SAN, to persuade Kanu to step-down from the prison van that
brought him to court for trial.
Though he eventually succumbed to persuasion by his lawyer
to alight from the prison van, however, Kanu, swore that he would not
allow anybody to remove the handcuffs which he wore into the courtroom.
Meantime, trial Justice John Tsoho who is scheduled to
hear the testimony of witnesses the federal government will bring before
the court today to testify against Kanu, has stood down the matter.
It will be recalled that Justice Tsoho had on January 29,
denied bail to Kanu and two other pro-Biafra agitators, Benjamin
Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who are facing trial with him.
The trio are answering to a six-count treason charge that was preferred against them by the federal government.
Kanu who was hitherto the Director of Radio Biafra and
Television, has been in detention since October 14, 2015, when he was
arrested by security operatives upon his arrival to Nigeria from his
base in the United Kingdom.
The defendants were in the charge that was signed by the
Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri, alleged to have
committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C)
of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
FG alleged that they were the ones managing the affairs of the IPOB which it described as “an unlawful society”.
Specifically, Kanu, was alleged to have illegally smuggled
radio transmitters into Nigeria, which he used to disseminate “hate
broadcasts”, encouraging the “secession of the Republic of Biafra”,
from Nigeria.
However, the accused persons, pleaded not guilty to the
charge on January 20, even as the court ordered their remand at Kuje
prison in Abuja.
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