Deborah Akinyosoye
A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, has formally applied to withdraw his appearance for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Agabi, SAN, who hitherto led Kanu’s defence team, announced his decision to pull out from the case after the proceeding resumed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
He disclosed that the IPOB leader, who has elected to defend himself, took his case file from him and the other senior lawyers that were part of his legal team.
Confirming the development from the dock, Kanu told the court that henceforth, he would represent himself.
He declined an offer from the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, for a lawyer to be provided for him.
In his first submission as his own lawyer, Kanu challenges the jurisdiction of the court to try him on the seven-count terrorism-related charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
It will be recalled that Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021, had, in a fresh motion he personally signed and filed before the court, named several individuals that included serving governors, ministers, ex-governors and security chiefs among the 23 persons he intends to produce as his witnesses.
Describing them as vital and compellable witnesses in his case, Kanu urged the court to grant him a 90-day period to enable him to open and conclude his defence.
He argued that expanding the initial six-day period the court gave for him to conclude his defence has become necessary in view of the number and status of the witnesses he intends to produce to give evidence in the case.
Among the proposed witnesses in the principal list he submitted before the court were the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; that of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; as well as a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).
Others are the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; the immediate past Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); the immediate past former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi.
Kanu, in the motion dated October 21 and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, equally hinted that he would call other persons whose names were not on the list he submitted.
He wants the court to issue a subpoena (summons) to compel the attendance of all the proposed witnesses whose evidence he said would establish his innocence of the charge against him.