The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned proceedings in the case against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, till Wednesday.
The adjournment, on Tuesday, came after a complaint by Kanu that the Federal Government failed to serve him the
15 new amended charges on time.
Kanu, through his lawyers, led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, further accused the FG of denying him the necessary facility to defend himself.
According to Ozekhome, the amended charge was served barely 24 hours to the scheduled hearing.
He said, “My lord, the proposed amended charge was served on us yesterday (Monday) evening. As I speak to you my lord, the defendant who was just brought in, has not even seen the charge for which he is being told to enter his plea.
“With due respect, that is not justice. It is ambushing. I know that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act allows them to amend, but this is the sixth amendment they are making, and each time they do it, they serve us a day to the hearing, just to frustrate the trial.”
However, the prosecution team, led by Mohammed Labaran from the Federal Ministry of Justice, said he was not opposed to the court granting a short adjournment to enable the defence lawyers study the charge.
Meanwhile, before adjourning the case, trial Justice Binta Nyako ordered the Department of State Services to allow Kanu to have a change of cloth.
“I don’t want to see him in this cloth again. This one is almost off-white. Also, make sure that you allow him to exercise,” the judge said.
