Biafra: Abaribe asks Court of Appeal to relieve him as Kanu’s surety

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to relieve him of his surety status in the case of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. Sen. Abaribe, a Jewish priest, Immanuel Shalom, and an Abuja-based accountant, Tochukwu Uchendu, were on November 14, 2018, asked by a Federal […]

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to relieve him of his surety status in the case of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Sen. Abaribe, a Jewish priest, Immanuel Shalom, and an Abuja-based accountant, Tochukwu Uchendu, were on November 14, 2018, asked by a Federal High Court in Abuja to temporarily forfeit N300m bail bond they entered into for Kanu’s bail.

Kanu, who was facing trial on a three count-charge bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and setting up illegal broadcast stations alongside Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe, failed to appear for trial since the alleged army raids on his home in Abia State in September, 2017.

Abaribe, through his counsel, Chukwu Machukwu-Ume (SAN), has informed the appellate court that under the provisions of Sections 55, 165(3), 167(3) and 488 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and other provisions of the constitution, a serving senator is legally exempted from standing as surety.

Machukwu-Ume said, “Thus, the trial court had not done the needful under the law, otherwise, it would have found that by law, the appellant (a senator) is legally exempted from giving security for the good conduct or behaviour of a suspect.”

While no date has been set for the appeal, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court has fixed March 28, to hear arguments on why the bail bond forfeiture order should not be made absolute.