The embattled leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was absent in court on Tuesday as at 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday morning as his trial for alleged treason continued at an Abuja court.
According to a report by Premium Times, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who stood as surety for the IPOB leader has asked the court to be relieved of that role, and also applied to the court to refund the N100 million bond earlier agreed to be given as part of Kanu’s bail condition.
It was gathered that Senator Abaribe (PDP- Abia state) in his motion, cited what he described as the invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s residence on September 11, during which a confrontation occurred between IPOB supporters and the Nigerian Army.
According to the motion, Abaribe said Kanu has not been seen since the September clashes between soldiers and IPOB members. He said; “Since the stated visit of the Nigerian Army to the residence of the first defendant from September 11, 2017, the second respondent in this suit (Mr. Kanu) has not been seen in public, neither has he been reported as making any statement on any issue.
“Since September 20, the reports have been that the federal government has proscribed IPOB, and declared it a terrorist organization.
“The activities of the Nigerian Army as affecting the second defendant are matters of state secret incapable of being unravelled by the applicant, which activities have put the second defendant out of the reach of the applicant, such that the applicant cannot reasonably be expected to produce the second defendant before this court.
“The applicant lacks capacity to produce the person stated by the first respondent (government) as a terrorist or a person who is of interest to the applicant,” Abaribe said. Senator Abaribe, a Jewish Rabbi and traditional ruler stood as surety for the IPOB leader in August when he was granted bail by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court.
The surety and bond of N100 million each which was made available by Senator Abaribe and the two others helped in the release of Kanu from the Kuje Prison in Abuja where he was being held for over a year.
Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the court that his client’s whereabouts has been unknown since September 14 after the IPOB confrontation with the army, adding that Kanu is in the army’s custody.
