Biafra: Court orders Nnamdi Kanu to be remanded in prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja, sitting before Justice John Tsoho, has ordered the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, be remanded in Kuje Prisons pending his trial over treasonable offences.

The new trial judge handed down the order, which is the first since the trial of the IPOB leader, after listening to Mohammed Diri, counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), and Chuks Muoma, counsel to Kanu.

Muoma had submitted before the court that the accused person be remanded in prison custody away from the cell of the DSS, and prayed the court to send the accused person to prison so that his family could have access to him, having been kept incommunicado in the custody of the DSS for three months.

Diri, prosecuting counsel, however, prayed the court to keep Kanu in the custody of the DSS for security reasons.

But the judge ruled that the defendant be kept in the custody of the Nigeria Prison Service, Kuje.

It would be recalled that on December 23, 2015, Kanu had refused to take his plea when he was arraigned before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of another Abuja Federal High Court, citing lack of confidence in the court.

This was after Justice Adeniyi Ademola of another Abuja Federal High Court had ordered the DSS to release him unconditionally, and a chief magistrate court discharged and acquitted him of all charges relating criminal intimidation and ownership of unlawful society, which were brought against him by the DSS.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has filed fresh six-count charges against Kanu, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who were arraigned with him, bordering on treason, and management of an unlawful group, smuggling radio transmitters and illegal possession of firearms.

Diri, the prosecuting counsel, had asked the court to strike out the charges earlier filed against the accused persons on December 18, 2015, and proceed with the ones filed against him on December 23, 2015.