An Abuja division of the Federal High Court has on Thursday heard an abridgement application by Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor seeking to move forward the trial date.
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu came up today before Justice Binta Nyako against its earlier adjourned date of January 19, 2022.
The judge listed her full schedule from her diary to the defence counsel to enable him to understand that her schedule was tight. She then granted the application and adjourned the matter for 18 January 2022.
What happened in court
Mr Ejiofor told the court that he had an application for an abridgement of time and that’s why they were there.
He said, “What we understand is that the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court was not adjourned together with the trial at the last adjourned date.”
M.S Labaran, prosecution counsel told the court that they had been served the said application and had filed a counter-affidavit in response to the application.
Mr Ejiofor informed the judge that the prosecution has refused to comply with the court’s order up till now. He said Kanu has not changed his clothes since he was brought to the detention centre and that he required medical attention.
The judge told Mr Ejiofor to file an affidavit of fact to that effect. She then directed that Mr Kanu be granted maximum possible comfort in the detention facility.
Justice Nyako granted the application to abridged time and abridged the matter till January 18, 2022, against the earlier adjourned date.
In case you missed it
Nairametrics reported that Justice Nyako adjourned the matter after Kanu’s lawyer staged a workout at the last adjourned date.
Nairametrics also reported that the federal government revealed why Kanu’s lawyers were absent in court on November 10.
The prosecution counsel had asked the judge to dismiss pending applications as Kanu’s lawyers staged a walkout.