Friday, 19 February 2016
Ibeh Gift Amarachi and Somtochukwu Okonkwo Isaac corresponding for Family writers in Federal High Court Abuja



The Hearing of the Leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra Citizen Nnamdi Kanu,took place on the 19 of February 2016. As at 10am the defendant Nnamdi Kanu was not yet brought to Court. The counsel of the prosecutor argued that the hearing of the case can take place,devoid of the appearance of the defendant. The Counsel for the defendant SAN Chucks Muoma nodded the proceedings,without the presence of the defendant .

The prosecutor Counsel for Nigeria Government argued that the counter of the defence over a secret trial shouldn’t be accepted by Justice John Tsoho in charge of the trial. San Chucks Mmuoma argued that the counter affidavit,still stands and that a secret trial must not be granted. The prosecutor counsel stated that, the Secret trial should be considered by the Judge, since the witnesses are Civilians living in the geographical entity of Nigeria and that there are recorded cases of violence by the Indigenous People Of Biafra and that the witnesses categorically informed them,that unless they can be guaranteed some form of protection by the Court,they are unwilling to come and testify, since they are already scared. San Chucks Mmuoma the counsel to the defendant Citizen Nnamdi Kanu,countered it and stated that the counsel of the prosecutor cannot talk about what he did not file into his former case file and if the Press in Nigeria is something to rely on,the Court will be convinced that it’s the other way round. The Indigenous People Of Biafra,have been killed by the Nigeria Government, thus the case should be an open one.

The Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and other defendants, was finally brought to Court in the midst of the hearing. The counsel of the prosecutor went further to argue that,the body language of the witnesses will dictate to the Court of Law,if they are been truthful or not. San Chucks Muoma opposed the application of the prosecution and stated that he filed a counter affidavit on the 15 of February against a secret trail. San Chucks Muoma went further to state that,"An accuse person under our jurisprudence and Justice of accusation must be confronted by his accusers,eyes ball to eye balls. He went further to state that under the constitution, Justice must be done. San Muoma counsel of the defendant referred the Judge to 3.01,4.02,4.03.4.04,4.06 It is compatible and consistent with common sense and jurisprudence, that you cannot accuse someone in public and then try him in secret and that in his forty five years of his practice, he has not witnessed it. And that even our traditional Justice calls it an abomination to accuse someone in public and then give him a secret trial.



And that if you talk about the safety of the witnesses, what about the safety of the counsels? Justice John Tsoho told the Court that, that he intend to have a ruling today. San Chucks Muoma said that,they want to see the faces of the prosecution witnesses, so that they can see the way the witnesses twitch their faces and their body movement as well. He said if you want to kill a Rabbit,kill him the way you killed others and not the other way round.