Biafra: Kanu rejects trial, chooses to stay in detention

The controversies sorrounding the arrest and trial of the leader of the Indeginous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, went a notch higher of Wednesday, as a Federal High Court judge excused himself from hearing the treason charges filed before it by the Department of State Services, DSS.

The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ruled that he would return the case file to the Chief Judge of the federal High Court after Kanu objected to his trial before the court.

According to Kanu, there was no point trying him in any court because the Federal Government had disobeyed all the rulings made by courts.

Kanu, stated this when he was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Wednesday, adding that he preferred to remain in detention than subjecting himself to a trial, which outcome will not be respected. He added that the DSS had always abused the outcome of the previous trials.

He announced his objection before the prosecution could make its plea.

However, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Diri, opposed Kanu’s objection, noting that based on section 396 (2) of the constitution, the defendant had no right to object to being tried by the court until after the plea is heard.

The judge however said he was standing down from the case, adding that Kanu had the right to reject the trial, “after all justice is rooted on confidence”.

“If any of the parties has no confidence in the court, he has the right to say so”, Mr. Mohammed ruled, noting that the prosecution would have done the same thing if they were in Kanu’s shoes.

“Assuming it was the prosecution, if they had no confidence in the court of jurisdiction; would they not have done so?”

“I hereby remit the case file to the honourable chief judge of this court to reassign it,” the judge said.

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