DSS replaces charges against Kanu

John Tsoho, justice of the federal high court, Abuja, has struck out six charges of treasonable felony brought against Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of State Services (DSS), following a withdrawal of the charges by the secret police.

At the arraignment of Kanu on Wednesday, Mohammed Diri, counsel to the DSS, asked the court to strike out the charges filed against the accused person on December 18, 2015, and proceed with the ones filed against him on December 23, 2015.

“We filed the first set of charges on December 18, and the second set of charges on December 23,” he said.

“The prosecution intend to withdraw the charges filed on December 18 and proceed with the charges filed on December 23.”

Count one of the old charges read: “That you, Nnamdi Kanu and other unknown persons now at large in London, United Kingdom, between the year 2014 and September 2015, with intention to levy war against Nigeria in order tto force the president to change his measures of being the president of the federation, head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the federation as defined in section 3 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by doing an act wit: Broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored by NBC for your preparations for the states in the southeast geo-political zone, south-south geo-political zone, the Igala community of Kogi and Idoma to secede from the federal republic of Nigeria and form themselves into a republic of Biafra, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 41 (C) of the criminal code act, CAP C38 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

However, the new charges are not so different from the old ones, as they bear only a few alterations.

The fresh six-count charges against Kanu, and Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, who were arraigned with him, border on treason, management of an unlawful group, smuggling radio transmitters and illegal possession of firearms.

Kanu arrived at the court a few minutes past 9am, appearing lean, with his beard was unshaven.