JUST IN: Court frees Nnamdi Kanu on eight counts of 15 charges

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday struck out eight of the 15 terrorism and felony charges preferred against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

Justice Nyako freed Kanu on the eight counts while ruling on a preliminary objection filed by the IPOB leader.

“In this instant preliminary objection application, I have read the counts and come to the conclusion that counts six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 and 14 have not disclosed any offence against the defendant.

“‘Counts one, two, three, four, five, eight and 15 show some allegations, which the defendant has to answer.

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

Meanwhile, Justice Nyako slated May 18 to rule on an application for bail by Kanu, pending the determination of the treasonable felony charge against him.

She adjourned to rule on the application after she heard arguments from both Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and the prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran.

Whereas, Ozekhome (SAN), argued that his client was entitled to bail considering that he still enjoys the presumption of innocence under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, FG’s lawyer, Labaran, urged the court to decline the bail request.

The prosecution maintained that Kanu betrayed the previous discretion the court exercised in his favour, when he jumped bail and escaped from the country.

He argued that it was owing to Kanu’s previous conduct that the court revoked his bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

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“My lord granted him bail on 2017 on health ground, but since then, till date, no medical record was submitted to the court until he jumped bail.

“What we should be saying is contempt of court because he has flagrantly violated the orders of this court,” Labaran submitted.

However, Ozekhome faulted FG’s lawyer for alleging that his client jumped bail.

He told the court that Kanu attended his trial regularly, until the military, in September 2017, invaded his home in an operation that led to loss of lives.

Ozekhome insisted that it was the action of the Nigeria Army that made his client to run for his life.

Besides, he argued that FG violated the fundamental rights of his client in the way he was forcefully abducted and extra ordinarily renditioned back to Nigeria.

He, therefore, urged the court to allow Kanu on bail to enable him to effectively prepare his defence to the charge pending against him.

However, Justice Nyako dismissed Ozekhome’s contention that Kanu’s extra-ordinary rendition was illegal. She stressed that there was a subsisting warrant from the court, for the arrest of the defendant wherever he was found.