Fugitive leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has indicated his readiness to return to the country to continue his trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He has therefore applied to the court to restore his bail in order to pave way for him to return to the country.
Furthermore, he wants an assurance from the security agencies that they will not re-arrest or harass him.
Kanu and other members of IPOB are standing trial for treasonable felony. However, after securing bail in 2017, Kanu left the country and his whereabouts have remained unknown till date.
Following his long absence from court proceedings, Justice Binta Nyako on March 28, 2019, revoked his bail and separated his trial from the others. The court also ordered that his arrest and that the trial be continued in his absence.
When the case came up on Thursday, Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, informed the court that he had filed an application on behalf of his client praying the court to set aside the revocation order.
He said the application was filed on April 1, 2019.
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An affidavit filed in support of the application read in part, “That the applicant is ready to stand his trial, if the safety of his life can be guaranteed by the Nigerian security agencies.
“That the applicant did not jump bail and has not voluntarily abstained from his trial to warrant the revocation of his bail and the subsequent order for his arrest.”
The lawyer claimed that Kanu “was ever willing to stand trial but for the unprovoked attack and bloody invasion of his residence by the Nigerian soldiers” in Afara-Ukwu, Abia State on September 17, 2017 during the Operation Python Dance.
Kanu’s lawyer also contended that the court’s order was “unconstitutional as it was made in clear violation of the applicant’s constitutionally-guaranteed rights to fair hearing”.
He noted that his client “was not given adequate time to adduce evidence and explain the circumstances which operated to make his attendance in court near impossible.”
After listening to Ejiofor’s submissions, the prosecuting counsel, Magaji Labaran, asked for time to file his opposition to the application.
Justice Nyako subsequently adjourned hearing till January 16.
