Alleged terrorism: I’ve no case to answer, let me go — Nnamdi Kanu

Kanu in court

For the fourth time, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, failed to open his defence to the seven-count terrorism charge the Federal Government preferred against him.

At the resumed proceedings, Kanu, who is conducting his case by himself, after he disengaged his team of lawyers, insisted he has no case to answer.

He maintained that in the absence of a valid charge pending before the court, there was no legal basis for him to either open his defence or to file and exchange a final written address with FG.

Ads by

Rather, he urged the judge to take judicial notice of the motion he filed along with a supporting affidavit, which challenged the jurisdiction of the court to continue to try him over an offence he said is unknown to any extant law.

Kanu asked the court to order his immediate release from the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, where he has been detained since 2021.

“You cannot ask me to begin my defence when you have not stated the law under which I am being charged. The records of this court show there is no law backing these charges. I request to be released. My Lord, please take judicial notice of all the records before this court,” he added.

Citing section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Kanu contended that there was no law to back the charge against him, even as he accused the court of violating a Supreme Court judgment he said condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya by the FG.

When he was reminded that the apex court remitted his case for a fresh trial, Kanu stood his ground that trying him over a non-existent crime amounted to a denial of his constititional rights

“In Nigeria today, the Constitution is the Supreme law; there is no provision for terrorism offence in the Constitution. There is no valid charge against me. I will not go back to any detention today. “Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed. I cannot put in defense under a repealed law. I won’t do that,” Kanu fumed from the dock.