KANU PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO FELONY CHARGE

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By Jimitota Onoyume, Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Davies Iheamnachor
The Federal Government, yesterday, docked the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on a six-count criminal charge bordering on treasonable felony. This came just as the Rivers State Police Command arraigned ten pro-Biafra protesters in Port-Harcourt. Kanu was arraigned alongside two other pro-Biafra agitators, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi. The trio took turns and pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri. In the charge, the Federal Government alleged that the accused persons committed treasonable felony by spear-heading an illegal agitation for the seccession of ‘Biafra Republic’ from Nigeria, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. FG alleged that the three accused persons were the ones managing the affairs of the IPOB, which it described as ‘an unlawful society.’ To remain in custody Meantime, shortly after the accused persons pleaded innocence to the charge, yesterday, the DPP, who is personally prosecuting the case for the government, applied for them to remain in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, pending the determination of the case against them. Diri insisted that it would be more convenient for the prosecution to produce the accused persons to court from the DSS detention facility for trial than from Kuje prison. Citing security reasons, Diri, contended that anything could happen on the way while bringing the accused person to court from the prison. “‘The DSS had never failed to produce the defendants in court, but we have had instances where accused persons in prison were not brought to court for trial owing to logistic problems. “‘The nature of the offence and the response of friends, relatives and sympathisers of the defendants that we have seen, particularly when the case was before the Magistrate’s Court, is what has prompted this application. “I have no personal interest against the accused persons. I am only doing my job as the prosecutor and the DPP of the federation,” Diri added.

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