Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the trial of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra to January 19, 2022.
Kanu has been detained in the Department of State Services (DSS) facility since he was arrested in Kenya and brought back into the country.
The legal team of Nnamdi Kanu had on Tuesday staged a walk out over refusal of secret police to allow them access into the Court room to observe proceedings.
Kanu, who was brought into the courtroom around 9:52am, had shortly after his case was called up, bemoaned the refusal of security agents to allow some members of his legal team, especially his lawyer from the the United States of America, Bruce Fein, to enter the courtroom.
The IPOB leader told the court that Mr. Fein, who he said was handling a case for him in the US, was around to witness his trial.
“I have an ongoing case in the US. I have not been allowed to see him. He is here to see me and to observe the proceedings.
“He has been to the DSS to see me, but they denied him access to me”, Kanu stated from the dock.
The prosecuting Counsel and Director of Public Prosecution, M.D Abubakar told the Court to proceed with the trial in the absence of Kanu’s lawyers.
Abubakar told the court that ordinarily, the matter was fixed for hearing of an application that was filed by the Defendant.
He argued that since Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who was initially inside the courtroom, walked out with his team shortly before the arrival of the judge, his pending application should be deemed abandoned.
In a short ruling, though Justice Nyako expressed his displeasure over the conduct of Kanu’s lawyers, she declined to dismiss the pending application and rather adjourned the case till January 19 and 20, 2022, for trial.
