A member of the IPOB leader’s legal team, Aloy Ejimakor, has disclosed why the Department of State Services (DSS) did not bring the secessionist leader to court yesterday.
According to the UK-based lawyer, the state security outfit gave ‘logistics difficulties’ as it reasons for not producing the leader of the group.
The lawyer stated this in a chat with reporters on Monday.
Africa Daily News, New York had earlier reported that Kanu was absent from court when his trial resumed at the Federal High Court Abuja on Monday.
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Justice Binta Nyako, therefore, stated that the trial could not continue in the absence of Kanu since he was not available to stand his trial.
The judge also did not attend to the prayer of Kanu’s lawyers that the court should grant a pending application before it to transfer Kanu from the custody of the Department of State Services to a correctional centre in Abuja.
Justice Nyako subsequently adjourned the trial of Kanu to October 21, 2021, for continuation of hearing.
Reacting, Ejimakor said, ‘The DSS didn’t bring Kanu to court. They gave no valid reason for Kanu not being in court except to say that they had logistics difficulties but the Judge disagreed and told them that ‘trial can never commence without defendant being present’.
Ejimakor also said the judge ordered the secret police to grant Kanu access to his lawyers twice a week – Mondays and Thursdays.
The lawyer said though the matter was adjourned to October 21, the judge noted that ‘should any issue concerning the case arise during the vacation, we should call the attention of her staff to it so that she can get the permission of the chief judge for vacation judge to grant us a hearing’.
Ejimakor also said contrary to expectations, the court did not amend the charges.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
