Court orders security agents to bundle Kanu out of courtroom

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday ordered security operatives to remove the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from the courtroom after he repeatedly interrupted proceedings and insisted that the court could not deliver judgment without accepting his written address.

Kanu loudly demanded that the judge show him where the law barred him from filing a written address, prompting Justice Omotosho to briefly halt proceedings while security officers escorted him out.

Earlier, the court dismissed fresh applications filed by Kanu, ruling that they raised issues already resolved in previous motions.

The judge also rejected his request to refer the matter to the Court of Appeal, citing Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which prohibits a stay of proceedings in criminal trials.

Kanu’s latest bail request was also denied, with the court noting that some of the points he raised would be addressed in the final judgment.

Trouble began when Justice Omotosho attempted to begin reading the judgment, of which Kanu insisted the court lacked jurisdiction without considering his written address, sparking the confrontation that led to his removal.

The IPOB leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, after he fled Nigeria but was arrested in Kenya under controversial circumstances, his lawyers describe as “extraordinary rendition”.