The Federal Government of Nigeria has amended the charges against Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to fifteen (15) counts.
According to OAK METRO, the amended charges dated January 17, 2022, filed a few hours before the trial of the IPOB leader at the Federal High Court in Abuja, relate to treason and terrorism.
Confirming the new charges filed by Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, Opara Maxwell Chibuike, a lawyer for the IPOB leader, said the legal team received the charges on Monday after leaving the Federal High Court where they went to finalize preparations for Tuesday’s court proceedings.
“My annoyance is not about the 15 worthless and empty amended charge but it’s just a calculated attempt to delay the trial and have an excuse to further incarcerate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the solitary confinement.
“Imagine since the last adjourned date more than 2 months now, they did not deem it necessary to amend, file and serve us but waited till today for them to do that with their ultimate intention to frustrate the trial tomorrow. Anyway we shall sort it out with them in the court room tomorrow,” said the lawyer.
Kanu, who fled Nigeria in 2017 when Nigerian soldiers raided his home in Umuahia and killed dozens of civilians in an attempt to assassinate him, was seized in Kenya and illegally repatriated to Nigeria in 2021.
He was first arrested and incarcerated in 2015 for demanding a referendum on an independent state known as Biafra in the east of Nigeria.