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A British envoy in Nigeria has arrived at the federal high court in Abuja for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The UK representative arrived in a white Toyota Highlander around 8:03 am on Thursday.
Kanu, who holds British citizenship, was arrested in June and brought to Nigeria to face trial for treasonable felony.
He had fled to the UK in 2017 after he jumped bail.
Tariq Ahmad, junior minister at Britain’s foreign office, had said the UK asked Nigeria to explain how Kanu was arrested.
While in the UK, he set up a militant arm of IPOB whose aim, according to Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman, is to “halt every criminal activity and terrorist attack on Biafraland”.
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s counsel, had said the DSS prevented his client from seeking assistance from the UK.
The IPOB leader is to be re-arraigned today on a seven-count charge as against the five counts he was previously answering to, bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.
MEANWHILE Many journalists who came for the event were denied access to the courtroom.
The security operatives stationed at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice building told journalists that only accredited judiciary reporters would be allowed in.
The PUNCH, however, observed that even accredited journalists were also not yet allowed to enter the court.
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Lawyers demand Kanu’s presence as trial resumes today
As of 8am. The PUNCH judiciary correspondent and photojournalist as well as several others were standing outside
Also, some lawyers have been denied access to the courtroom.
As of the time of filing this report, at 8.03am, tinted vehicles of the Department of State Services entered the ministry, fuelling speculations that Nnamdi Kanu might be in one of the vehicles.
