The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has given reasons why he abandoned his trial and escaped out of the country in 2017.
Africa Daily News, New York gathered that Kanu, who was re-arrested and brought back to Nigeria last Sunday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he fled the country to save his life.
He sought permission of the court to speak, shortly after he was docked before trial Justice Binta Nyako by the Federal Government.
Eyewitnesses confirmed to Africa Daily News, New York that the IPOB leader who did not have any legal representation was dressed in a black tracksuit, looking healthy and unruffled.
Read Also: IPOB Writes Biden, Wants Denial Of Arms Sales To Nigeria
The IPOB leader reiterated that he did not deliberately abscond from the court to avoid trial.
According to him, his disappearance was due to the unlawful invasion of his house by security agents, in an operation he said resulted in the death of many innocent people.
The IPOB leader said he went underground to avoid being killed.
He words: ‘My lord, my house was invaded and people were killed. I would have been killed too if I had not hid myself. That was why I have been unable to attend court.
‘I would have been killed the way others were killed when my house was invaded,’ Kanu stressed.
At this juncture, trial Justice Nyako asked him to get in touch with his lawyer to brief him about all that have transpired in the case in his absence.
Though the case was initially fixed for October 20, owing to FG’s application for accelerated hearing, the court brought the matter forward to July 26 for the continuation of trial.
The court further directed the Prosecution to notify Kanu’s lawyer, even as it remanded him in the custody of the DSS.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
