On Wednesday, Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court ordered the prosecution counsel to pay N200,000 for stalling the day’s proceeding in the trial of co-defendants in Nnamdi Kanu on treasonable felony charge.

Ms Nyako ordered that each of the four defendants be paid N50,000 by the attorney general Abubakar Malami for the inconveniences they suffered due to the lead counsel, Shuaib Labaran’s absence in court.

The four defendants are Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwudike, Benjamin Maduagwu, and David Nwaurusi, said to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They are being tried alongside Mr Kanu, IPOB leader.

The judge, who was unhappy with how the trial was truncated, ordered that the N200,000 be paid to the defendants before the next adjourned date. She fixed March 17 for trial continuation.

Earlier at the resumed trial, there was no legal representation for Mr Buhari’s regime when the matter was called.

However, as Ms Nyako was about to take adjournment, an officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Adewumi Aluko, came in and apologised that the lead counsel had travelled out of the country.

She informed that though two witnesses were in court, she would not want to proceed without the lead counsel and sought an adjournment.

Through their lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the defendants complained about the hardship suffered to raise funds for their transportation to Abuja.

Ms Nyako also counselled the defence lawyers to stop using frivolous applications to delay the trial, which started in 2015. She then fixed March 17 for the resumption of the trial. On June 25, 2018, the court had admitted the four defendants to bail. 

They are facing trial on a three-count charge bothering on treasonable felony.

Earlier, the defendants were being tried alongside Mr Kanu for alleged treason, but his (Kanu’s) absence in previous court sittings had prompted Mr Buhari’s regime to file separate charges against them.

Ms Nyako had acceded to a bail application filed by their lawyer on the grounds of their health condition and prolonged stay in detention.

The judge granted each of them bail of N10 million and ordered them to produce two sureties in like sum. She also barred them from granting an interview to the press or appearing in a public gathering, similar to the conditions given to Kanu when he was granted bail.

In May 2017, Mr Chimezie was granted bail by the Uyo Division of the Federal High Court, but he had remained in SSS’ custody since then.

Condemning his continued detention, the judge noted the four defendants had spent an average of three years in custody when the penalty for their alleged offences ranges from five to seven years.

As part of their bail conditions, she also ordered the four of them to report to the commissioner of police in their respective states every two weeks.

(NAN)