Just In: FG Withdraws Charges Against IPOB Leader After Court Rejects Bail Application

The Federal Government has withdrawn the newly amended charges against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja rejected his request for breaching previous privileges accorded him.

Upon withdrawal of the newly amended six-count amended charges by the central government, the court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako struck out the charges preferred against Kanu and maintained that the bail applications would also not be granted.

Nyako said that Kanu would have been granted his request but previous privileges were misused by the IPOB leader which further resulted in his rearrest and repatriation to Nigeria.

The judge’s ruling at the court on Wednesday came after Kanu’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome, complained that the government was trying to delay processes by continuous amendment of the charge against the IPOB leader and that the newly amended charges were the seventh time the Federal government embarked on same actions.

Nyako, who agreed with Ozekhome’s submission, stated that Kanu was not expected to take a plea on those newly amended charges immediately, as he needs time to digest them before doing so.

She also berated the prosecution for filing the amended charge just hours before the ruling and stressed that the prosecution cannot dump the new amended charge on the court, on the morning of the hearing.

Ruling on the bail application, the judge said the issue of Kanu’s absence in the past, since 2017, should be determined, before his bail application, will be entertained.

According to her, Kanu breached his former bail conditions, and until that has been heard, his present bail application remains immature and cannot be granted.