..As Kanu’s trial suffers fresh setback
There was heightened tension at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, as human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was arrested by the Police shortly after proceedings in the ongoing trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, had arrived at the court premises to witness the proceedings in Kanu’s terrorism trial. However, shortly after learning that the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, would not be sitting, he was approached by police officers who informed him that he was under arrest on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Eyewitnesses said members of Sowore’s legal team, led by rights lawyer Tope Temokun, immediately confronted the officers, demanding to know the reason for the arrest. Despite their protests, the officers insisted they were acting on “direct instruction” from the Commissioner and subsequently escorted Sowore into a waiting police vehicle.
Before his arrest, Sowore had expressed his intention to appear before Justice Nwite to challenge what he described as a “bogus and farcical” charge of alleged forgery of a police wireless message, reportedly filed under the directive of the “illegal Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun”.
Meanwhile, the trial of Nnamdi Kanu was stalled earlier in the week following the dramatic withdrawal of his legal team, led by Kanu Agabi (SAN). The senior lawyer informed the court that he and several other SANs on the defence team—among them Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Joseph Akubo (SAN), Paul Erokoro (SAN), and Emeka Etiaba (SAN)—were withdrawing because Kanu had decided to take over his case personally.
When asked by Justice James Omotosho to respond, Kanu confirmed he had disengaged his lawyers and intended to conduct his own defence. The judge granted the withdrawal request and adjourned the matter till Friday, October 24, to allow Kanu to prepare to open his defence.
Observers say the twin developments—the disruption of Kanu’s case and Sowore’s sudden arrest—have further stirred public concern about the government’s handling of high-profile political and human rights cases in the country.
