The federal government may ask a federal high court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, on grounds of alleged breach of the conditions of the bail granted him in April.
According to Punch newspaper, top sources in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the body prosecuting the IPOB leader, had indicated that alleged breaches of the bail conditions by Kanu were “being noted”.
They said the prosecuting authorities were taking records of the alleged breaches, reviewing them and would take “the necessary step at the appropriate time.”
According to The PUNCH, a source in the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja, indicated without details, “Kanu had been found to have flouted some of the conditions (he was given).”
The source also added, “We are taking note of his conducts which were in breach of the conditions of the bail granted him.
“We are reviewing them and we will take the necessary action at the appropriate time.”
When asked if part of “the necessary steps” would be to ask for the revocation of the bail, the source said “of course, the consequence of any breach of bail conditions is the revocation of the bail.”
“But anybody who has been following the events would clearly see the breaches.”
Although, his co-accused had also filed separate bail applications, Kanu was the only one granted bail, among the four defendants standing trial on charges bordering on Biafra agitation.
The other accused persons charged along with Kanu were the National Coordinator of IPOB, Chidiebere Onwudiwe; an IPOB member, Benjamin Madubugwu, and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the MTN, David Nwawuisi.
After the judge struck out six out of the 11 counts preferred against the defendants on March 1, 2017, the defendants were left with five charges.
The charges included conspiracy and treasonable felony by allegedly conspiring among themselves to broadcast on Radio Biafra agitation for the secession of Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.
They were also accused of improper importation of goods and illegal possession of firearms.
Among the charges was also publication of defamatory matter by allegedly referring to the then President-elect, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as “a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot, and an embodiment of evil” in a broadcast on Radio Biafra on April 28, 2015.
Justice Nyako had after the case was transferred to her denied bail to all the four defendants.
But they filed their bail applications again after part of the charges preferred against them were struck out by the court.
In her ruling on April 25, 2017, Justice Nyako only granted bail on health grounds to Kanu, who had been in detention since 2015.
The judge, however, barred the IPOB leader from granting press interview while on bail.
The judge also gave a stern warning to the defendant not to participate in any rally or be found in a crowd of more than 10 persons in the course of the bail and had also ordered Kanu to submit to the court monthly reports on his health status while on bail.
Flouting his bail conditions, Kanu had addressed a crowd of supporters, who were more than 10, at his father’s palace in Abia State as his father is the traditional ruler of Isiama Afara community in the state.
Al Jazeera had also published an interview where Kanu was quoted as describing his bail conditions as too stringent and saying, “I don’t care”, when asked if the interview could put him in trouble.
His view was also backed by his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor who referred to the bail conditions as unconstitutional. He also added that it was not for the prosecution to determine whether or not his client had violated the bail conditions, The PUNCH reports.
The IPOB leader had also declared a sit-at-home campaign in the South-East on Tuesday to protest against alleged marginalisation of the region by the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, a group, South-East Peoples Assembly, in a letter signed by its President, Prince Chukwuemeka Okorie, had on Wednesday, asked the court to revoke Kanu’s bail for violating its conditions.
Read more at Punch.
