The Federal High Court in
Abuja has granted bail to the co-defendants of the missing leader of the
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice Binta Nyako had
earlier on February 20, 2018, ordered the separation of Kanu’s trial from that
of the rest of his co-defendants, as the IPOB leader’s absence from court
continued to halt progress in the case.
The co-defendants who now
face three counts of treasonable felony,
are Bright Chimezie; National Coordinator of IPOB, Mr Chidiebere
Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugw and David Nwawuisi all members of IPOB.
Ruling on their fresh bail
applications which they filed following their re-arraignment on March 20, 2018,
Justice Nyako, said the applications succeeded on health grounds and the number
of years they had spent in detention.
She also noted that one of
the defendant’s, Bright Chimezie, had earlier been granted bail by the Federal
High Court in Uyo in May 2017 but the Department of State Service (DSS) which
at the time, was holding him in custody refused to release him.
She said the defendants had
spent an average of three years in custody when the maximum penalty for the
offences they were charged with if convicted, ranged from five to seven years.
In granting them bail
Justice Binta Nyako imposed on the four defendants conditions similar to the
ones she attached to the bail granted Kanu in April last year (2017).
One of such conditions included
that they were barred from granting any press interview or participating in any
form of gathering or rally.
In addition, she ordered
them to produce two sureties each in the sum of 10 million Naira.
The defendants are also
expected to report to the Commissioners of Police in their various states of
residence every two weeks.
The trial was then
adjourned till November 14, 2018
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