Olushola Omogbehin
A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, has officially applied to withdraw his representation in the ongoing terrorism trial against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu Agabi, told the court that he and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria on the defense team had tendered their application to withdraw from the case, saying that the defendant had “taken the case back from them.”
Affirming the development, Nnamdi Kanu told the court that he would represent himself for the time being. “I will be representing myself for now. That might change later.”
The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, asked whether he should assign a lawyer to represent him, but the defendant (Kanu) declined.
Proceeding to argue orally on his own behalf, the IPOB leader maintained that the court lacked the jurisdiction to try him.
This development marked a dramatic turn in the protracted trial of the IPOB leader who is facing charges on treasonable felony and terrorism-related offences.
Among the 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 and others.
