The Department of State Security (DSS) on Wednesday revealed the reason it had continued to refuse the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from changing his clothes.
Kanu, who is facing a 15-count charge bordering on treasonable felony, terrorism, among others, has been wearing same cloth in the DSS custody, were he had been kept since his re-arrest in Kenya last year.
An Abuja Federal High Court judge, Binta Nyako, who is presiding over his trial, had in December 2021 ordered the DSS to allow the IPOB leader to change his outfit before his next appearance in court.
However, as the trial resumed today (Wednesday), Kanu was seen still wearing his regular Fendi outfit.
His lead lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), complained to the court that the DSS had refused to allow Kanu a change of clothes contrary to a definite order of the court that he must be allowed to wear a new outfit.
He added that, thrice, Kanu’s younger brother had been denied access to the DSS facility where Kanu was detained.
Ozekhome also lamented that since his client was arrested and detained, his eyeglass was seized by the DSS and has not been returned to him. He asks that his glasses be returned to him to prevent him from going blind.
In response to that, the judge asked the Director of Legal Services of the DSS to provide explanations to the issue.
“My Lord, clothes that were brought for the defendant had a lion’s head embroiled on them, and the defendant (Mr Kanu) can’t wear clothes with a lion’s head,” DSS lawyer said.
He further explained that “clothes with lion’s head offend the standard operating procedures” of the DSS.
The judge then asked the type of cloth Kanu prefers to wear.
In response, Kanu replied, “I want to wear the clothes of my people, “Isi Agu (clothes with a lion head).”
While the court refused his request, it however, ordered the DSS to provide Kanu with his eyeglasses which his lawyers said was taken away from him.
During the day’s court proceedings, the Prosecution Counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that the defence counsel had filed and served him with two applications, which he had responded accordingly.
He added that the first application is seeking an order quashing the 15-count amended charge levelled against Kanu and the other one seeking his bail.
Justice Nyako said the complaint has been noted and asked Ozekhome to proceed with the business of the day.
Speaking, Ozekhome said he had an application that basically seeks the quashing, striking out, and dismissing of the 15-count amended charge against Kanu for being incompetent and denying the court of jurisdiction to entertain the 15-count amended charge.
The application, with 34 grounds, and supported by 36-paragraph affidavit, Ozekhome said, also seeks for an order acquitting and discharging Kanu for want of jurisdiction and defective, baseless and incompetent charges.
The matter was later adjourned to April 8 to rule on Kanu’s applications to quash the charge.