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Fresh charges have been referred against the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The leader of agitators for an independent republic of Biafra in South Eastern Nigeria, who was arraigned, Wednesday, on a 15-charge bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism, pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He took his “Not Guilty” plea before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was brought into the courtroom around 10:15 am.
The founder of Radio Biafra who told the court that he was innocent of all the allegations levelled against him, however, complained from the dock that some counts in the amended charge were similar.
No sooner than he took his plea, the prosecution counsel, Labaran Magaji, told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial.
He added that he brought two witnesses to testify against the defendant.
But Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), told the court that he had on Tuesday evening, filed a 43-paged preliminary objection for the charge to be quashed and struck out without the matter proceeding to trial.
Labaran, however, argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, stressing that he would require time to go through them so as to be able to respond.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako agreed with Ozekhome, noting that since Kanu’s first application is challenging the propriety of his trial, as well as the competence of the charge against him, the court ought to hear it first.
The court, subsequently, adjourned till February 16 to hear the pending application before the charges bordering on treasonable felony preferred against Kanu.
Source: StreetReporters.ng
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