Just in: Nnamdi Kanu Wins As Court Orders FG To Pay Him N1 BILLION and Apologize.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra has had a taste of victory in his court case with the federal government.
It is to be recalled that Kanu has been in custody ever since he was rearrested in 2021.
He appeared at the High Court in Abia State on Wednesday to face trial.
According to reports, the IPOB leader had approached the Court demanding N5 billion over the invasion of his father’s house by the military on September 10, 2017.
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In response, the High Court ordered the Federal Government to pay the sum of N1 billion to Kanu, the IPOB leader’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor has said.
Furthermore, the court presided over by Justice Benson Anya also ordered that the federal government should issue a letter of apology to Kanu
According to the judge, the Federal Government violated the IPOB leader’s fundamental rights.
The Court also recommended political solution to the agitation for the restoration of the defunct Biafra Republic championed by IPOB.
Kanu’s lawyer made the court’s decision public in a tweet, that reads, “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu WINS as Abia High Court rules that the Federal Government violated his fundamental rights. Orders the Federal government to pay N1b to him and issue a letter of apology to him.
“Most importantly, the Court recommended political solution to the #Biafran agitation.”
Meanwhile, Kanu, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the fresh amended 15-count charge of treasonable felony filed against him by the Federal Government.
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A report by Punch says Kanu was brought into the courtroom around 10.15am, and explained that he was innocent of all the allegations levelled against him.
He also complained from the dock that some counts in the amended charge were similar.
On his part, the prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran after taking his plea also told the Federal High Court that he was ready to proceed with the trial, adding that he brought two witnesses to testify against Kanu.
In response, Kanu’s new lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said 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.
“We are further asking that the defendant should be discharged and acquitted as there is nothing in this charge. It has no basis at all.
“We also have a motion requesting the court to grant bail to the defendant,” he added.
On his part, the prosecution counsel 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.
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“In essence, the business of the day cannot be allowed to be truncated by these applications,” he argued.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako said that since Kanu’s first application was challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charge against him, the Court ought to hear it first.
“As for the second motion (on the issue of bail), I don’t even want to talk about it, at least not at this stage,” Justice Nyako held.
The Court subsequently adjourned till February 16 to hear the pending application.
It was earlier reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria, on Monday, filed new terrorism charges against the IPOB leader
According to reports, Kanu’s former seven-count charge has been increased to 15.
He will now enter his fresh plea to a 15-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, M. B. Abubakar.
The fresh charges came barely 24 hours before the scheduled commencement of hearing by trial Justice Binta Nyako.
A report by The Nation quoted the charges as follows,
Count 1: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State sometimes in 2021 being a member and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a proscribed organisation, did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria by a making a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to intimidate the population and you threatened that people will die, the whole world will stand still and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act. 2013.
Count 2: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State sometimes in 2021 did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to intimidate the population, you issued a deadly threat that anyone who flouted your sit-at-home order should “write his/her Will’. As a result banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations domiciled in the Eastern states of Nigeria were not opened for businesses, citizens and vehicular movements in the Eastern States of Nigeria were grounded within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 3: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abla State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court professed yourself to be a member and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, a proscribed organisation in Nigeria and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Watch: Nnamdi Kanu Denied Being An IPOB Member – FG Counsel
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