The Federal High Court in Abuja has, granted an application by the Nigerian government to shield identities of witnesses billed to testify against the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
Pepushing reports that Justice James Omotosho who is the trial judge on Tuesday granted the application after counsel of the government, Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), moved an ex parte motion to the effect.
The counsel moving the motion, told the court that the identities of the witnesses needed to be protected for security reasons emphasizing that the charges against Kanu bordered on terrorism, hence, the need to protect the witnesses.
Penpushing further reports that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), equally requested that the name of the witnesses be shielded from the public for the general reasons of security, as the prosecution opened its case against the Biafran leader who faces treasonable felony and terrorism charges over his secessionist agitation for a Biafra Republic.
The former Attorney-General of the Federation Kanu Agabi who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who appeared for Kanu, did not object to the application, however, requested similar cooperation from the Nigerian government when bail application for Kanu would be argued.
Penpushing further reports that the trial judge, subsequently granted Awomolo’s plea, while the first prosecution witness, identified as PWAAA, had commenced testifying as the prosecution formally opened its case against Kanu.
Meanwhile, it is recalled that Kanu faces treasonable felony and terrorism charges, which stemmed from his separatist agitation for the secession of Nigeria’s five Igbo-dominated South-east states and parts of the neighbouring states as a sovereign Biafra nation.
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