The trial of Nigerian separatist Nnamdi Kanu, a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, has been adjourned to October 21 due to his absence in court. The security forces detaining Kanu did not bring him to Abuja’s courtroom.
Abuja Federal High Court judge Binta Nyako postpone the trial, after waiting hours for the State Security Services to hand over Kanu, who has been in their custody since his rearrest late in June.
Earlier, supporters, legal teams and journalists were prohibited from entering the courtroom by security agents.
Kanu was rearrested in Kenya late June, almost four years after he evaded arrest and secretly fled the country.
He risks a death sentence as he was accused of treason, terrorism and instigating public violence leading to loss of lives.
Human rights lawyer Martin Obono said the government’s ‘hoarding of information’ about his arrest does not inspire trust that he will receive a fair trial.
“The circumstances surrounding his arrest are still as sketchy as they are, the government is supposed to be quite open with this kind of information,” Obono said.
Nnamdi Kanu leads the decades-long turmoil for an independent Biafran nation in Nigeria’s southeastern region.
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