Court orders DSS to ensure Nnamdi Kanu is allowed a change of clothing while in detention

DEPARTMENT of State Services (DSS) officials have been ordered by an Abuja high court to allow Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu to change his clothing from now on as he has not been allowed to since arrested in Kenya last year.

Highly controversial, Mr Kanu has been campaigning for the recreation of the independent republic of Biafra which broke away from Nigeria between July 1967 and January 1970 during the civil war. His campaign, which has led to the phenomenal growth of Ipob, has set him at odds with the Nigerian government who him arrested and put on trial for treason.

While the case was still pending, Mr Kanu was granted bail in April 2017 on health grounds but skipped his bail after flouting the conditions given to him by the court and fled Nigeria. In a dramatic development, in June last year, Mr Kanu was abducted in Kenya and flown to Nigeria, where he has since been arrayed in court in Abuja, with fresh charges added to the pending ones.

Earlier today, Mr Kanu appeared again before Justice Binta Nyako at Federal High Court in Abuja, with his counsel Mike Ozekhome, informing the judge that the DSS was not treating his client well in custody. he revealed that Mr Kanu was still being subjected to solitary confinement, as were other prison inmates who greeted him.

Subsequently, Justice Nyako ordered the DSS, to allow Mr Kanu, some comforts, among which should be a change of clothing. Although she informed Mr Ozekhome that a detention facility is not a five-star hotel, the judge asked that Mr Kanu be treated in a humane manner.

Justice Nyako said: “I don’t want to see him in these clothes again. This one is almost off-white. Also, make sure that you allow him to exercise.”

On Monday night, the federal government had filed new terrorism charges against Mr Kanu, in addition to the existing ones on treason. However, Mr Kanu declined to take his plea in the 15-count terrorism charges instituted against him, accusing the government of ambushing him with the fresh charges served on Monday.

Mr Kanu alleged that the government has breached the principle of fair hearing with the way and manner the new charges were brought. Mr Ozekhome complained that the fresh charge was the sixth in the series, adding that his client cannot proceed to take a plea on charges he has not studied to prepare for defence as required by law.

In addition, Mr Ozekhome claimed that the proof of evidence was not legible enough for their understanding of the fresh charges. He subsequently asked for a postponement, which was not opposed by Shuaib Labaran who stood for the federal government, prompting Justice Nyako to fix tomorrow for the arraignment.

Mr Ozekhome added: “I went to DSS to see him and I was almost stripped naked before I could see him. We pray that the arraignment is adjourned till tomorrow to enable his lawyers to study the new charge along with him in the interest of justice.”

In her ruling, Justice Nyako also ordered that Mr Kanu and his lawyers be allowed to have an interface in the courtroom before he is taken into DSS custody. This is because Mr Kanu had complained of poor feeding, clothing and denial to practice the religion of his choice.

However, Justice Nyako declined the request that a foreign lawyer, Mr Bruce Fein, be allowed into the courtroom to observe the trial. She ruled  that the request would be granted upon a written application and approval by the chief judge of the Federal High Court.