Nnamdi Kanu arrives court in handcuffs, denied bail again

Nnamdi Kanu arrives court in handcuffs, denied bail again

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu has arrived the Federal High Court sitting at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja ahead of his bail hearing.

The Biafran leader who described himself as a ‘prisoner of conscience’ months back, arrived the court at 9:55am in handcuffs while the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako entered the court premises at about 9:59am.

Recall that Justice Nyako had on November 17, fixed today as the date for ruling after lawyers to the four defendants argued their separate bail applications which were opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran.

During proceedings on the November 17, Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu told the court that the bail application for his client was filed to the court in accordance with the rule of law, adding that on the 17th of December, 2015, Justice Ademola Adeniyi ordered that his client (Nnamdi Kanu) be released unconditionally, but that the order was not obeyed.

Speaking further, Ejiofor said: “My Lord, this refusal of obeying order was following a media chat of the President on December 30, 2015, where he stated that he will never release the defendant.

Meanwhile, Justice Nyako is the fourth judge handling the case against the Biafran leader. The first judge that handled Kanu’s matter was Justice Shuiabu Usman of a Magistrate Court in Wuse zone 2, Abuja, the second was Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who actually granted the IPOB leader bail, the third was Justice John Tsoho who stepped down from the case following an accusation from Kanu’s lawyers that he is biased.

Kanu alongside his co-accused, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi are facing a six-count charge of treasonable felony, brought against them by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Although they have been granted bail twice by a federal high court sitting in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government has refused to obey the court orders raising doubts over the possibility of Mr. Kanu and his co-accused regaining freedom anytime soon.