BBC Pidgin of Friday, 18 July 2025

Source: BBC

Nigerian govment reject Nnamdi Kanu 'no case submission', court adjourn mata for ruling

Nnamdi Kanu bi di leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu bi di leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra

One High Court for Abuja don set 10 October as di day to rule on di 'No Case' submission wey di proscribed Ipob leader, Nnamdi Kanu bring for court through im lawyers.

Di 'No Case' submission wey dem date 4th July 2025, and file on 14th July, 2025, bin dey adopted on Friday.

No Case Submission na legal argument wey defence counsel dey usually present afta di prosecution present dia case finish to show say, di evidence wey dem bring come no dey enough to prove from am alone say di defendant do wetin dem tok say e do.

Dis dey come usually bifor di defence start to present dia own case for court.

While adopting dia written address, di lead counsel to di defendant, Kanu Agabi. SAN, inform di court of dia reasons for filing a 'No Case' submission say:

.During cross examination of di prosecution witnesses, dem tok tins like "I no know", "I no remember" 80 times. Dat one go against di rule of proof beyond reasonable doubt

.Di prosecution no ansa about ten issues wey di defence bring up

All di witnesses for dia testimony tok say dia role na only to get statements from di defendants but dem no investigate am.

.Some evidences bin dey filed afta trial don start and e no dey fair.

Di witnesses no clearly differentiate wetin dem hear, wetin dem tell dem and wetin dem see for dia investigation, wen dem dey give dia testimony.

.For di charge of inciting violence, dem no mention any pesin wey tok say na oga Kanu broadcast ginger dem.

.Di appeal court judgement alreadi don tok say di court no get jurisdiction to try di mata wey relate to di transmitter.

.On di mata of leading illegal group, di defence say no presidential approval dey given for proscription even though di mata dey for supreme court.

.Di section 1&2 of di terrorism act wey tok on intentionality, no be sometin wey dem charge or prove.

.Di mata don dey ground for 10 years, and pipo don forget. Also di defendant don dey for solitary confinement for about six years now and dat one go against international law wey tok say solitary confinement no suppose pass 15 days.

.Di prosecution just add di mata of EndSars wen dem no fit authenticate di report about am.

.Di amended charges no follow due process, as dem no file am. Dis one mean say di defendant plead for charge wey no exist.

For di prosecution response, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, tok say di prosecution don call five witnesses wey dem use prove evri element for di case.

E also tok say di judge no suppose enta di koko of di case or di evidence, say im own na just to determine weda di defendant need tok anytin in im defense.

.Oga Adegboyega also reason say di law ban any statement wey go cause fear. So if di defendant say e bin just dey boast, e need to explain am.

.For di mata of solitary confinement, e argue say oga Kanu bin get bail from 2017-2022 and na order of court say make e stay for custody for di safety of Nigerians.

On di proscription of IPOB, e tok say no be di judge go decide dat one say e dey supreme court.

Wetin be di charges against Nnamdi Kanu?

Since 2015 wen di Nigeria goment first arrest Nnamdi Kanu, na only April dis year im trial start well-well.

Remember say di matter bin dey bifor Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court Abuja, and na she bin grant Kanu bail on health grounds for 2017, but Kanu run for im life comot for Nigeria afta soldiers bin carry out security operation for im House for Umuahia, Abia State for southeast Nigeria.

For June 2021, security pipo for Kenya arrest Kanu and carry am by force come back to Nigeria to face trial.

Di initial charges against di ipob leader bin dey 15, but Justice Nyako bring am down to seven.

Even though di Court of Appeal later strike out all di charges and discharge Kanu, di Supreme Court reinstated di seven charges as dem tok say di Ipob leader get questions to ansa.

Dis na di seven charges:

Count 1: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to intimidate di population.

Count 2: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to threaten members of di public wit sit at home order.

Count 3: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, make broadcast wia you declare your sef as member and leader of Ipob, group wey Nigeria goment don ban.

Count 4: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, make broadcast wia you encourage members of di public to kill Nigeria security officers.

Count 5: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, make broadcast wia you encourage di public to attack officers of di Nigeria police force.

Count 6: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, make broadcast wia you encourage members of di public to burn down evri federal goment facilty for Lagos wey lead to major economic loss to federal goment.

Count 7: Say you Nnamdi Kanu, import Radio transmitter known as Tram 50L and hide am inside container for Ubulisiuzor for Ihiala Local government area of Anambra state.