Court grants him right to practise his religion, receive visitors
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
An Abuja Federal High Court hearing the case against Nnamdi Kanu on Thursday granted him the right to some comfort in the gulag of the Department of State Security (DSS) where is being detained for alleged treason and other charges.
The hearing was originally fixed for January 19, 2022 but was brought forward at his request, presented in court by his legal team led by Aloy Ejimakor.
Ejimakor issued a statement on Thursday which disclosed that Justice Binta Nyako granted the following reliefs:
- That Kanu be given maximum comfort possible in the detention facility.
- That he be allowed a change of clothing.
- That he be allowed free practice of his Jewish faith including access to his Jewish religious materials.
- That the DSS obey all previous orders granted in the matter, including allowing Kanu any visitor of his choice.
- That Kanu be permitted, at his option, to mingle freely with other inmates or any other persons at the detention facility.
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Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is on trial for agitating for a separate country for the South East carved out of Nigeria because of the marginalisation of the Igbo.
There was a total absence of security operatives in court and around the outer perimeters on Thursday unlike what obtained in previous proceedings.
Kanu was not brought to court and there was no DSS officer to explain why.
Ejimakor said both the court and the DSS might have concluded that his presence was not strictly required in the sort of application that was moved in court today.
The judge did not grant Kanu’s legal team the leave to move its application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to continue the trial.
The defence had filed the application, arguing that the extraordinary rendition of Kanu constitutes a constitutional barrier to his trial.
The court ruled that the application was not calendared for hearing today and will be heard at the next adjourned date.
The court, after going through what it said is a tight judicial calendar, moved the date of the next hearing forward from January 19 to January 18, 2022.
It ruled that it will entertain all outstanding applications at the next hearing.