Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday abandoned his earlier plan to call witnesses in his defence in the ongoing trial over alleged terrorism offences.
At the resumed hearing before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Kanu informed the court that after carefully reviewing the case file, he had concluded that he had no case to answer.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Omotosho had, on Friday, fixed Monday for Kanu to open his defence after he complained that the case file had not been handed over to him.
Kanu had earlier, in a motion filed on October 21, expressed his intention to call about 23 witnesses and applied for witness summons.
However, when the matter came up on Monday, the IPOB leader said he had studied the case file and discovered that there was no valid charge against him.
He said: “I have gone through the case file and realised that there is no valid charge against me.”
Kanu further argued that since he was convinced the charges were invalid and that he was being subjected to an unlawful trial, there was no need for him to conduct any defence.
Justice Omotosho, in response, directed Kanu to file a written address to that effect and serve the prosecution. He also advised the defendant to consult experts in criminal law to understand the implications of the decision he had taken.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to November 4, 5, and 6 for the adoption of final written addresses, based on Kanu’s position that the evidence and charges presented so far had not established any case against him or, alternatively, for him to enter his defence.
