Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, has said that a single individual cannot alone execute offence treasonable, considering the ingredients involved in the crime as enumerated in the Nigeria’s criminal code act.
Kanu made this known through his lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor and the Amoebi Nzelu, where he, Ejiofor, maintained that his client no longer had confidence in the court where the case against him is currently being heard. Recall that Mr. Kanu and two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who have been in detention since October, 2015, are facing trial for alleged treason.
“The six count charges proffered against our clients show in summary that our client (Namdi Kanu) is facing three charges; treasonable felony, managing unlawful society and concealing goods in a container holding goods of different description,” Mr. Ejiofor said. He added that, “the second defendant Mr. Benjamin Madubugwu is facing two count charges (that is counts 4 and 5) of assisting the management of unlawful society and unlawful possession of firearms, while the third defendant is facing only one count charge of assisting the management of unlawful society.
“The question now arises as to whether a single individual can be charged solely with the offence of treasonable felony, considering the ingredients of the offence of treason as enumerated under section 41 of the Criminal Code Act cap C38 laws of the federation of Nigeria.” Mr. Ejiofor said the court, presided by Justice John Tsoho, had denied his client bail, despite an earlier decision of the same court under Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who granted bail to the first defendant in the matter.
He claimed that the decision of Mr. Tsoho to vary an earlier ruling of his (Tsoho) by yielding to the request of the prosecution for the protection of witnesses in the ongoing trial of Mr. Kanu was further confirmation that the court under his (Tsoho) leadership would not grant justice to his client. “In the face of this anomaly, it became apparent that our client, Nnamdi Kanu, cannot get a fair trial in this very court.
These among other sundry reasons necessitated the other actions we adopted to demand that the honourable court disqualifies itself from further proceeding with the hearing of the case,” he said. Advising the media, Mr. Ejiofor said they should ensure a correct interpretation of the charges against their clients, saying Mr. Kanu is the only person directly accused of treasonable felony.
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