IPOB: Court strikes out 8 counts, begins Kanu’s trial on 7

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out eight of the 15 terrorism and felony charges proffered against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

The presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, struck out the eight charges on Friday.

Ruling on a preliminary objection filed by Kanu, Justice Nyako said counts six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, and 14 have not disclosed any offence against the IPOB leader.

The presiding judge stated that counts one, two, three, four, five, eight, and 15 show some allegations, which Kanu has to answer.

“The court shall proceed to try the defendant on those counts,” Justice Nyako added.

Nnamdi Kanu has been facing trial before Justice Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court over charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.

The IPOB leader, who was granted bail in April 2017, had fled Nigeria after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September, 2017.

However, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, on June 29, 2021, announced that Nnamdi Kanu had been rearrested and extradited to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

Malami added that the IPOB leader was “intercepted” days earlier but did not disclose which country and how the operation was carried out.

The Star