By TAIYE AGBAJE

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, fixed March 19 for ruling in the bail application and preliminary objection to his trial commencement filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Justice Binta Nyako fixed the date after counsel for the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, and that of Kanu, Alloy Ejimakor, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the motions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) earlier reported that at the resumed hearing of the matter, Awomolo told Justice Nyako that the case was coming up for hearing after the decision of the Supreme Court on Dec. 15, 2023.

Awomolo said the apex court affirmed Nyako’s decision of April 8, 2022, by affirming the preservation of counts one, two, three, four, five, eight and 15 of the charge which Kanu pleaded not guilty of.

The senior lawyer said that the Supreme Court ordered the continuation of the hearing on the remaining seven counts out of the earlier 15 counts.

“So we are ready to proceed with the hearing of this matter and it is in the defendant’s interest and everybody’s interest in this country to see to the end of the hearing,” he said.

But Counsel to Kanu, Ejimakor, told the court that he had two motions; an application for bail and a preliminary objection.

He said though he agreed that the Supreme Court directed the continuation of the trial, they were not ready to continue the proceeding.

He urged the court to take the bail application and the preliminary objection for court to decide whichever way, and the prosecution did not object. (NAN)

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