Counsel to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has explained why defence lawyers staged a walkout during Wednesday’s sitting of the Federal High, Abuja.
Kanu’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said they decided to stage a walkout on Justice Binta Nyako because the Department of States Services (DSS) officers insisted only five of their lawyers would be allowed into the courtroom.
He said more than 50 lawyers, who were with them in solidarity and also part of their team, came to the court.
He, however, said though about eight of them, including his client’s American lawyer, had planned to enter the court, the security officers insisted only five would gain access.
“And we are more than seven or eight of us here.
“We have people representing several groups who are lawyers.
“We have Nnamdi Kanu’s attorney from the U.S. here also,” he said.
Ejiofor explained that while they were trying to sort out the issue with the DSS officers, the judge came in “and knocked us out, all of us.”
He said Justice Nyako should have tried to inquire from the defence lawyers what really transpired.
“The attention was called to this that we are outside the court protesting about what they are doing to lawyers; they couldn’t allow us in,” he said.
He, however, said what transpired in court were yet to be made known to them before the court adjourned the matter.
According to the lawyer, what we saw today that happened in court was the height of privacy of justice.
He said they planned to restrategise on their next line of action.
“Obviously, I don’t think we are going to continue with this court.
“Most likely, we are going to take it up from there.
“By virtue of what transpired today, I don’t think we still have the confidence in the ability of the court to deliver justice in this case,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Bruce Fein, who is Kanu’s foreign lawyer, said it was disheartening that this would be the fifth time he was denied access into the courtroom to observe proceedings.
“It is clear five times that they are targeting me in particular and that was the reason the proceeding did not transpired today,” he said.
Fein vowed to take the matter to the international tribunal for adjudication.
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