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Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday, refused to open his defence in the terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
He insisted that there is no valid charge against him before the court.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Kanu, who has opted to represent himself after disengaging his legal team, told the court that he had personally reviewed his case file and found no subsisting charge against him.
“Join me in praising God. I have gone through my case file and there is no charge against me. There is no extant law in this country upon which the prosecution can predicate the charges against me. If there’s any, let my Lord read it out to me,” he said.
He maintained that it would be unjust to compel him to enter a defence when, according to him, there is no valid legal basis for the charge.
“So, I should not enter any defence in a charge that does not exist under any law in Nigeria,” Kanu declared. “I urge you to release me today or grant me bail.”
The courtroom was tense as the self-acclaimed Biafran leader made his demand, reiterating his stance that his continued detention was unlawful.
His declaration came barely days after the court dismissed his no-case submission and ruled that he had a case to answer on the terrorism-related charges brought against him. The Federal Government had argued that it had established a prima facie case and urged the court to compel him to open his defence.
Kanu, however, fired his team of lawyers shortly after the ruling and informed the court that he would henceforth conduct his own defence.
He also complained that his former counsel had failed to hand over his complete case file, a development that caused an adjournment last week.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, following his controversial re-arrest and repatriation from Kenya.
His trial has continued to draw national and international attention, with calls from rights groups and political leaders for his release or fair trial.
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