The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Wednesday, struck out the amended six-count treasonable felony brought against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.
Justice Binta Nyako struck out the charge, following the withdrawal of the charge by the Prosecution counsel, Mr. K. E. Kaswe of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Kanu’s lead lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, accused FG of deliberately frustrating the speedy determination of the case stating that the amended charge was served on him barely 48hours ago.
“My lord, in one of the attachments, pictures of lawyers waiting to have a meeting with the defendant at the DSS facility, were snapped with secret camera and displayed.
“Names of his lawyers- Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Maxwell Opara- were also mentioned. They have brought new issues and even changed the wordings of the charge. The fact that the court sustained only seven counts in the previous charge and the have now reduced it to six counts, means that the charge has already been altered”, Ozekhome argued.
Ozekhome stressed that it was wrong for the Prosecution to insist on going on with the trial, without firstly rearraigning the defendant.
Consequently, Kaswe had to apply for withdrawal of the amended charge following Ozekhome argument and Justice Nyako struck out the charge.