By Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, rescheduled the trial date of detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafran (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu from January 19 to 18 2022.
The IPOB leader will, therefore, spend 2021 Christmas and New Year festivities in detention.
The 2022 January dates will be for the hearing of all pending applications including that on the competence of the charge against Kanu and the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The shift in the trial date followed the abridgment of time granted by the judge, following an application by the IPOB legal team to that effect.
Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had approached the court with an application seeking order to accommodate the trial sometime in November and December 2021 as against January 19 earlier scheduled.
Shuaib Labaran, who stood for the Federal Government of Nigeria, however, told the court that a counter affidavit opposing the request had been filed and served on Kanu.
Consequently, Justice Nyako informed Kanu’s lawyer that the application for time abridgment was off the table.
He said there was no judicial time and the diary of the court was filled up for the year.
The court, however, ordered DSS to allow Kanu practise his faith, change his raiments and be allowed maximum possible comfort while in the detention.
Stonix News reports that Justice Nyako also urged the IPOB legal team to intimate the court through the Court Registrar.
She also informed Kanu’s lawyer, Mr Ejiofor, to write her directly.
Recall that Mr Kanu was rearrested from Kenya and brought to Nigeria some months ago after jumping bail.
He’s been in the forefront of canvassing for the revalidation of a sovereign State of Biafra as the only means of political emancipation and attainment of collective destiny of all Igbos.
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