The detained leader of the Indegenious People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has appeared before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for his trial, with the same clothes he had been wearing since June last year when he was arrested.
The trial judge, Justice Nyako had ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to allow Mazi Kanu to have a change of cloth.
When the matter came up, the Prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that Kanu was the one that chose to wear the same cloth because it was a designers wear.
Mr. Labaran however said that the Defendant was given a new Orthopedic mattress, pillows and blankets.
In his response, Mazi Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, told the court that it was not true that his client insisted on wearing his designers clothes.
Chief Ozekhome however commended the DSS for providing the IPOB leader with new mattress and pillows.
Mazi Kanu is currently entering his plea to the fresh amended 15 count charge against him bordering on act of terrorism, felony, incitement, unlawful importation of a radio transmitter, and headship of an illegal organization.
Meanwhile, immediately the IPOB leader finished taking his plea of not guilty, the Prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial, adding that he brought two witnesses to testify against the Defendant.
However, Mazi Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, told the court that he had filed a 43-paged Preliminary Objection for the charge to be quashed and struck out without the matter proceeding to trial.
On his part, FG’s lawyer, Labaran, argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, adding that he would require time to go through them so as to be able to respond.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako noted that since Kanu’s first application is challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charge against him, the court ought to hear it first.
The court therefore adjourned untill the 16th of next month to hear the pending application.
In another development, Abia State High Court, has ordered the Federal Government to pay the sum of one billion naira to Nnamdi Kanu.
The court also ordered the government to issue a letter of apology to the secessionist for allegedly violating his fundamental human rights.