The trial of the embattled Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu commenced on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja with his counsel, Chuks Mouma filing an application seeking the court to order the prosecution to release all items not needed in the prosecution of the case.
Mouma in his application urged the court to order the prosecution to release some of the defendants items being held as evidence if they are not relevant to the case.
He listed the items as, $2,200, N87,000 and the defendant’s international passport.
“Bail has been denied the defendants and they are in security prison and as such they can not escape or run away.”
Mouma also urged the court to dismiss the application by the prosecution seeking protection of the witnesses due to the nature of the case and that the defendants be trial secretly.
He said, “The defendants are not facing terrorism charges so the question of facing secret trial” should be discountenance by the court.
In his response, the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed S. Diri, who is the Director of Public Prosecution, opposed the application for the release of some exhibit to be tendered in the course of the the trial because all the items being held by the prosecution are relevant to case.
Diri argued that due process was not followed in filing the application as the defence counsel ought to have directed the application to the Attorney General of the Federation who has the power to release those exhibits and not the court.
On the issue of the passport, Diri said, “The fact that Kanu is before this court today indicated that he sneaked into the country without using both his British and International passport.”
He added that the passports and other items are relevant to the prosecution hence prayed the court to “dismiss and discountenance the application seeking for the release of evidence.”
Justice John Tsoho, in his ruling, dismissed the application for the release of items held as exhibit, stressing that the application lacks merit.
Tsoho thereafter adjourned the matter till February 19.
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