ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on Thursday December 17, 2015, rule on the bail application of the self-acclaimed leader of the Biafran Republic, Nnamdi Kanu.
When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu asked the court to set aside an order it earlier granted to the DSS operatives to detain him for 90 days on alleged investigation of terrorism against him by the Federal Government. He urged the court to grant his client bail.
Supporters of Biafra during a peaceful rally
Biafra – The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest along Ikwerre road in PH, Rivers state, over the arrest of the Director of Radio Biafra Oct 2015. (Image credit: Nwankpa Chijioke)
While opposing the application, counsel to DSS, Mr Moses Idakwo, asked the court not to admit the suspect to bail because he was allegedly involved in terrorism acts. The DSS counsel told the court that the Federal Government was in possession of bank accounts of the accused person for dollars and pound sterling from where he had been financing terrorism acts against the country.
Besides, the counsel also submitted that Kanu has dual citizenship of Britain and Nigeria and could flee and escape justice if allowed to go on bail. Justice Ademola after listening to all the submissions adjourned till Thursday, Dec 17, 2015, to rule on the bail application.
It would be recalled that Kanu had been in detention of the Department of State Security (DSS) since October this year, when he was apprehended by DSS operatives and moved to Abuja. Kanu, who is founder of Radio Biafra and Director General of the Indigenous People of Biafra Republic, also asked the court to strike out a criminal charge with reference no FHC/ABJ/ CS/873/2015 brought against him by the SSS.
In a motion on notice argued before Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Kanu applied for an order of the court admitting him to bail and also directing the DSS to obey an order of the Chief Magistrate’s Court, which had earlier granted him bail in the motion argued by his counsel, Mr. Egechukwu Obetta.
Kanu claimed that the order of the Federal High Court that permitted the SSS to detain him for 90 days pending the investigation of terrorism allegations against him was obtained fraudulently by the DSS.
Credit: National Mirror (Nigeria)
