Protest as court allows shielding of witnesses in Kanu's trial

Protest on Tuesday trailed the Federal High Court, Abuja, after it granted the Federal Government’s request to protect the identities of prosecution wit­nesses in the ongoing trial of de­tained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and his co-defendants.

Apart from his supporters, who protested against the order at the court premises, Kanu also ex­pressed anger at the development.

The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako granted the prayers of the government when she ruled on an application by the prosecution to shield the names and addresses of the prosecution witnesses who are largely security operatives.

She said: “I hereby order that the names of the prosecution wit­nesses who are security operatives should appear in combination of alphabets and such witnesses will be given screens which will be pro­vided by the court.

“The defendants and their counsels will be able to see the wit­nesses who will be given special ac­cess to and from the court,” Justice Nyako held.

The suit was adjourned till 10, 11 and 12 January, 2017 for the commencement of trial.

Shortly after the ruling, Kanu and the three other pro-Biafra agi­tators, Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and Da­vid Nwawuisi, facing an 11-count charge of treasonable felony and terrorism, registered their displeas­ure over the court’s decision on the application.

Fuming with anger in the dock, Kanu told their counsel in the open court that they were op­posed to the ruling.

Kanu, who accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lying, said that the President cannot intimi­date him.

He said: “The President can in­timidate the judges, but he cannot do that to me. Tell him he has lied.”

The pro-Biafra agitators also stormed the court in their hun­dreds and engaged prison ward­ers and other security operatives in a scuffle over the ruling.

The government had applied for all the witnesses to be allowed to testify behind the screen.

The prosecution also prayed the court for identities of the wit­nesses not to be revealed in any re­cord of the proceedings.

The defendants however op­posed the application, contending that granting such request would amount to a gross violation of their rights to fair hearing.

“We vehemently oppose a se­cret trial of the defendants. They were accused in the open; we also request that they be tried in the open. The defendants need to see those testifying against them eye-ball-to-eye-ball.

“We are ready for this trial”, Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor submitted.

Specifically, the government had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, alleged that the quartet conspired to com­mit treasonable felony contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Ni­geria, 2014. It further alleged that they committed the offence along with others now at large, on diverse dates in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.