The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has pleaded not guilty to the new amended 15-count treasonable felony and terrorism charge the Federal Government filed against him. Through his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, the Biafra agitator is also asking the Federal High Court presided by justice Binta Nyako to dismiss the charges on the ground that they lack merit. Shortly after Kanu pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial, adding that he brought two witnesses to testify against the Defendant. However, Ozekhome objected on the ground that he had on Tuesday evening, filed a 43-paged Preliminary Objection for the charges to be quashed without proceeding to trial. In a short ruling, Justice Nyako held that since Kanu’s application is challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charges against him, the court ought to hear the application first. The trial has been adjourned till February 16 for hearing of the application challenging the competency of the charges.
