Nigerian separatist leader sacks lawyers at start of his defence in court
Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has sacked the lawyers representing him at his trial and announced he will be representing himself from now on.
The 58 year-old opened his defence on Thursday, where he argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to try him – an argument rejected by the judge.
Kanu, who heads the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) denies charges of terrorism and incitement to violence.
Ipob is seeking independence for what the group calls the Biafran nation in south-eastern Nigeria.
Barely 24 hours ago, Kanu listed some high-profile Nigerians as witnesses in his trial, including Abubakar Malami, who was attorney general at the time of his arrest in 2021.
He did not give any reason for his decision to sack his lawyers and they have not commented.
Kanu, who also hold a British passport, said his continued detention after a court of appeal ordered the charges against him to be dropped, put the Nigerian government in contempt of court. The charges were later reinstated by the Supreme Court.
The judge said this issue had already been addressed during preliminary hearings and ordered him to start his defence.
On Monday, Nigerian police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered in the capital, Abuja, to demand his immediate release.
Despite his many battles with the Nigerian government, Kanu remains a cult hero to his many followers, especially in south-east Nigeria.
Ipob was banned as a terrorist organisation in 2017. Its armed wing – the Eastern Security Network – has been accused of killings and other acts of violence in recent years.
Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 on terrorism charges but he jumped bail in 2017 and left the country after a military raid on his home. The court later revoked his bail in March 2019 and ordered his re-arrest.
Two years later, the Nigerian government announced his re-arrest. His lawyers say he was detained in Kenya, which has not commented on whether it played a role in his deportation to Nigeria.
In 2022, an appeal court ordered that the charges against him be dropped but this was overturned by the Supreme Court the following year.
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