The Federal Government has filled a fresh 6-counts charge of treason and managing the affairs of ‘an unlawful society,’ against the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu was on Tuesday charged before the Federal High Court, Abuja, alongside two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.
In the fresh charge, the trio were accused of committing treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
When the matter came up before Justice Mohammed, yesterday, neither the prosecuting counsel nor the accused persons were present in court.
Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who announced appearance for the defendants, queried the seriousness of the Federal Government to prosecute the matter.
Ejiofor insisted that the fresh charge was nothing but a ploy by the government to ensure the continued detention of the accused persons, especially Kanu, who was earlier granted bail by the same high court.
Justice Mohammed explained that though the matter was slated in the court’s cause-list for mention, yesterday, it was obvious that the prosecution was not notified. The judge, therefore, adjourned the case, saying a date for the arraignment of the accused persons would be communicated to all the parties.
There was heavy police presence around the court premises.
In the fresh charge, the Federal Government alleged that the three accused persons were the ones managing the affairs of “an unlawful society,” the IPOB.
The charge reads: “That you, Nnamdi Kanu, and other unknown persons, now at large, in London, United Kingdom, between 2014 and September, 2015, with intention to levy war against Nigeria in order to force the President to change his measures of being the President of the Federation, Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation as defined in Section 3 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by doing an act to wit: Broadcast on Radio Biafra your preparations for the states in the South- East geo-political zone, South-South geo-political zone, the Igala Community of Kogi State and the Idoma/Igede Community of Benue State to secede from the Federal Republic of Nigeria and form themselves into a Republic of Biafra, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
It would be recalled that Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the same high court had on December 17, ordered the “unconditional” release of the IPOB leader, Kanu, from the custody of the Department of State Service, DSS.
Kanu, who is also the Director of Radio Biafra and Television, London, was on October 17, arrested in Lagos by security operatives, shortly after he arrived Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom. (Vanguard Ngr)