The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday disrupted judgment proceedings at the Abuja Division of Federal High Court.
“I’m under trial and I must speak,” Mr Kanu insisted. The judgement must listen to me.”
“You don’t know law. Nonsense,” Mr Kanu shouted, before he was walked out of the court based on the presiding judge’s order.
He added, “Any judgement passed in this court is rubbish.”
However, Justice James Omotosho said, “The unruly behavior of the defendant is not new. It has gotten to a level where this court has to make progress. This morning, he acted unruly. He refused to comport himself. Nobody is above the law. This is the time to put a stop to this.”
He added, “I hereby make an order because of the unruly behavior of the defendant. I hereby make an order that the judgment proceed in his absence.”
Meanwhile, the court registrar had earlier confirmed on Thursday morning the proceedings would go on.
Cameramen of different television stations, including NTA, Channels TV, AIT, TVC, were among the workers of broadcast stations in the courtroom with their gadgets for the live transmission.
The judge had, on November 7, fixed today for the judgment. The judge fixed the date after Mr Kanu’s defence was foreclosed following his insistence that he would not enter his defence under repealed laws.
The judge held that Mr Kanu, having exhausted the six days given to him by the court to conduct his defence, had waived his right to do so. The judge said he would have extended the days allocated to Kanu to conduct his defence if he had opted to open it.
He said Mr Kanu, having failed to utilise the opportunity given to him to conduct his defence, could not claim to have been denied the constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair hearing.
