[BREAKING] Nnamdi Kanu’s Supporters Storm Federal High Court, Abuja

By Braxton Ilobah

As the trial of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra’s (IPoB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu resumed on Monday morning, his supporters, most of whom arrived Abuja from the South-East at the weekend have taken over the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Many of the supporters who spoke with journalists said they have come to give solidarity to Kanu whom they described as “our leader whose alleged offense is the struggle to actualize the sovereign State of Biafra.”

Police men are reportedly having hectic time trying to push back the teeming crowd of Kanu’s Supporters from coming close to the court premises.

Even though, many of them indicated interest to be peaceful as the trial goes on, inside the court, some of them said they were ready to face any consequence their presence may warrant, should the security men continue to chase them out.  Some police men, however displayed some maturity in the manner they tried to stop the supporters from surging close to the court building.

The trial judge, Binta Nyako of Court Five at the Federal High Court, Abuja had fixed July 26, 2021 for resumed hearing in the case against Kanu after he was re-arrested late June, 2021 by security forces in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria. Before he jumped bail four years ago he had been charged with treasonable felony.

On June 29, 2021 the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami had announced that Kanu had been re-arrested and brought back to continue facing his trial.

He said the IPoB leader was “intercepted” days earlier but did not disclose which country and how the operation was carried out.

Although, there was no official disclosure about where and how Kanu was arrested, his relatives and lawyers have described how he was taken into custody in Kenya under controversial circumstances.

It would be recalled that Nnamdi Kanu was granted bail in April, 2017 but fled the country after the invasion of his home at Afara-Ukwu near Umuahia, Abia State by the military in September same year.

The judge, Binta Nyako subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial.

More details later.