The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), until April 19. The presiding judge, Binta Nyako, has set this date for the trial to commence.
The trial's resumption on Monday follows the Supreme Court's judgement on December 15, 2023. The apex court reinstated Mr Kanu's trial after overturning the Court of Appeal's judgement that had previously freed the IPOB leader. Mr Kanu is currently facing charges of terrorism before Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On the adjourned date, the prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awolowo, has pledged to bring forward at least two witnesses. Mr Awomolo's appearance on Monday signals a significant restructuring in the federal government's prosecution team. This is the first instance of an external prosecutor leading the federal government's team since the case's inception in 2015.
During the resumed proceedings on Monday, Mr Kanu's lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, presented a new application for his client's bail. Mr Ejimakor based his client's bail request on the Nigerian constitution's provisions, which stipulate that a defendant is entitled to sufficient time and resources to prepare their defence.
Furthermore, Mr Ejimakor highlighted several issues impeding the effective preparation of the IPOB leader for his defence. He criticised the behaviour of the State Security Service (SSS) operatives, who he claimed "eavesdrop" on confidential discussions between Mr Kanu and his legal team. He also expressed concerns about Mr Kanu's declining health condition and urged the judge to grant the IPOB leader bail.
However, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr Awolowo, disagreed with Mr Ejimakor. He urged the judge to dismiss Mr Kanu's bail application and the preliminary objection to the trial's commencement, describing the requests as "irritating" due to their lack of legal basis.
Mr Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was introduced by the new Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi. He is the external prosecutor who secured the conviction of a former federal lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, over the 2012 fuel subsidy probes bribery. Mr Lawan's conviction was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in January.
Further details will be provided as the case unfolds.