By Anthony Ochela, Abuja
Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the federal government to always serve the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, with documents and materials intended to be tendered as exhibits before being tendered in court.
Justice James Omotosho said such documents and materials must be front-loaded and be made available to the defendant as required by law, so as not to catch him unaware in the defence of the terrorism charges filed against him.
The judge issued the order during the resumption of Kanu’s trial yesterday.
Issues arose when the second prosecution witness (PW2), code named BBB, testified that he was assigned by the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, to investigate Kanu.
He described Kanu as the operator of Radio Biafra and the founder of the Eastern Security Network, ESN.
However, attempts by the federal government through its lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) to tender a letter authorising the witness investigation was opposed by Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), on the ground that the document was not front-loaded as required by law.
The prosecution later withdrew the document.
The trial also saw disagreements over the admissibility of a video evidence presented by the defence, which Kanu himself opposed.
The court ordered that all materials intended for trial must be served in advance and listed properly, stressing that no document would be admitted unless previously disclosed to the defence.
Earlier at the continued cross-examination of the first prosecution witness (PW1), code named AAA, he admitted not being aware that several terrorism charges against Kanu had been struck out by the same court.
The witness, who is an operative of the Department of the State Service, DSS, also admitted not having knowledge of the current status of many of the original 15-count charges.
Re-examined by the lead prosecutor, Chief Awomolo, the witness stated that Kanu’s activities amount to agitation for the secession of parts of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, continuation of the trial has been fixed for May 7.
