Court Strikes Out 8 Out Of 15 Charges Against Nnamdi Kanu

Eight out of the 15-count charge filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria against Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been struck out on Friday.

Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Binta Nyako who presided over a Federal High court in Abuja, the nation’s capital, struck out counts 6,7,9,10,11,12,13 and 14.

Kanu will now be tried on counts 1,2,3,4,5,8 and 15.

The IPOB leader is standing trial on an amended 15-count charge bordering on treasonable felony. His lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome described the charges as “defective and baseless”.

He said his application seeks the “quashing, striking out and dismissing of the 15-count amended charge” for being “incompetent and denying the court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit”.

The application, premised on 34 grounds and supported by a 36-paragraph affidavit, is also seeking an order acquitting and discharging Kanu.

“You are accusing Kanu of making some broadcast. You didn’t say where these broadcasts were made. Were they made in the spirit world, made in the air or under the ground?” Ozekhome asked.

Kanu’s lead counsel also quoted the provisions of the federal high court act, as stating that a prosecutor is expected to give exact details of a location where an offence is committed.

Ozekhome adopted his application and asked the court to strike out the entire charge, a request which was however countered by the prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran.