Kanu’s Lawyers Threaten To Boycott Trial Over Alleged Access Denial

The legal team of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has registered their perceived injustices against their client.

They warned that they might boycott court proceedings.

They stated they would not participate in the proceedings if the Department of State Services did not respect the IPOB leader’s right to a fair trial.

The IPOB leader, who faces treason and terrorism charges, has been in the DSS’ custody since 2021.

His bail application based on health grounds was rejected by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Nyako instead promised an accelerated hearing of the matter.

Kanu’s trial is expected to commence on April 17, 2024.

Addressing journalists on the difficulty they have been facing preparing the IPOB leader for trial, his legal team, led by Alloy Ejimakor, on April 9, 2024, during a press conference in Abuja, accused the DSS of denying them access to their client.

He also accused the service of constantly seizing every legal document they took to the DSS facility to prepare Kanu for trial.

Ejimakor, at another press conference on Wednesday, said they would pull out of the trial should the DSS continue to frustrate their efforts to prepare Kanu for his trial.

Ejimakor claimed the DSS actions were denying the IPOB leader his right to a fair trial, adding that the legal team would not be a part of such a process should it continue.

Ejimakor said, “This legal team is not going to be part of the travesty of justice. If Nnamdi Kanu is not going to get a fair trial, this legal team is not going to be part of murdering justice in a Nigerian court. It doesn’t mean we are going to abandon Kanu but we will, as a group, abandon the process. we will refuse to be participants in a process that is geared to and preprogrammed for injustice on the head of Kanu.

“Let that be clear. It doesn’t sound like we are going to boycott Kanu but you can say we are boycotting the judiciary and what we are boycotting is manifest injustice.”