BREAKING: Court refuses Nnamdi Kanu bail

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was on Wednesday refused bail by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja., TopNaija reports.

Nyako demanded that Kanu must account for his whereabouts after he was first granted bail but refused to attend court for trial.

The court disagreed with the IPOB leader, that he escaped out of the country when a retinue of armed soldiers allegedly invaded his ancestral home in Abia State.

Nyako, in a ruling, held that rendition for the purpose of criminal investigation is allowed.

Nyako said since Kanu was on a bench warrant, the law allowed that anywhere he is sighted, he can be arrested and be brought to face his trial.

“Rendition for the purpose of criminal investigation is allowed.

“In the instant case, there is a bench warrant on the defendant (Kanu). Suffice to say, he is a fugitive before the court,” she said.

The judge, who dismissed Kanu’s move to challenge the terrorism charge, upheld seven counts in the fresh charge filed by the federal government against the IPOB leader.

Nyako said that the federal government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, had been able to established some allegations against Kanu in counts one, two, three, four, five, eight and 15.

“Counts one, two, three, four, five, eight and 15 show some allegations. The court shall proceed to try the defendant (Kanu) on those counts, ” she ruled.

After the review of the 15 counts, she held that about eight of the counts appeared to be similar and did not disclose action.

She, therefore, ordered that counts six, seven, nine, 10, 11, 12 13 and 14 should be struck out.

Nyako also ruled that the order proscribing IPOB as a terror group still subsisted until it was vacated since the issue was still on appeal.

She dismissed the argument of Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, counsel for Kanu, that whether IPOB was a terrorist organisation under the Nigerian law or not was still a subject of an appeal.

As of the time of filing this report, the hearing in the matter is still ongoing.
(NAN)