Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday told the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, that the safest place for him was to be remanded in prison pending his trial over alleged treason.
The court was responding to Kanu’s submission that he would be ready to return to Nigeria to face his trial, only if his safety is guaranteed.
Kanu had, through his counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told Justice Nyako that he was not afraid to face trial and was ready to come back to Nigeria for it.
Delivering ruling, Justice Nyako said that the only way the court could guarantee Kanu’s safety was to keep him in the prison.
She said even judges are no longer safe in the country.
Ejiofor told the court that the application to restore the IPOB leader’s bail was filed on April 1 so that he could come back to Nigeria to answer the criminal charges against him.“Even judges are being abducted in the country. So prison is the only safe place for him,” she said.
Kanu, who was admitted to bail by the court upon his arraignment by the Federal Government, had since jumped bail and escaped to the United Kingdom.
“We have an application for bail filed on April 1, 2019, the application was served on the prosecution and it is ripped for hearing.
“We urge the court to restore his bail on the ground that the court will guarantee his safety when he comes back to the country to continue his trial,” he said.
On his part, counsel to the Federal Government, Labaran Shuaibu opposed the application. He told the court that he was just seeing the process.
Shuaibu urged the court to adjourn the matter to enable the Federal Government study the request for bail restoration and file necessary response to it.
Justice Nyako adjourned the matter till January 16, 2020.
The judge had, on March 28, ordered the re-arrest of the self-proclaimed leader of IPOB, Kanu, after revoking the bail granted to him but was jumped.
The judge explained that the court gave the order because Kanu had failed to appear in court after his bail was granted in April 2017.
She ordered that trial would continue in the absence of the IPOB leader and directed that a bench warrant be issued for his arrest.
Kanu was admitted to bail on health grounds on April 25, 2017 with three sureties, one of who is a serving senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, a Jewish religious leader and a highly respected person with landed property in Abuja.
The judge had warned the IPOB leader against granting press interviews, holding rallies or being in a gathering of more than 10 persons while on bail.
She had also warned him that the bail would be revoked if he flouts any of the conditions.
But rather than keeping to the bail conditions, Kanu escaped to the United Kingdom and had since refused to come back to the country for his trial.
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