The terrorism charges against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu has been amended by the federal government.
The counts has increased from seven to 15 ahead of the resumed hearing today January 18, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu’s legal team said it was served with an amended 15-count charge filed on January 17, with eight new counts added.
A lawyer in Kanu’s team, Maxwell Opara who described the amendment as a ploy by the prosecution to delay the case, added that they were served the amended charges while preparing to visit Kanu in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).
Opara told The Nation;
“My annoyance is not about 15 worthless and empty amended charges, but it is just a calculated attempt to delay the trial and have an excuse to further incarcerate MNK (Maxi Nnamdi Kanu) in solitary confinement.
“Imagine, since the last adjourned date, more than two months now, they did not deem it necessary to amend, file and serve us, but waited till today (yesterday) for them to do that with their ultimate intention to frustrate the trial tomorrow (today).
“Anyway, we shall sort it out with them in court.”
The charges read in full:
Count 1: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State sometimes in 2021 being a member and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a proscribed organisation, did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria by a making a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to intimidate the population and you threatened that people will die, the whole world will stand still and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act. 2013.
Count 2: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State sometimes in 2021 did commit an act in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to intimidate the population, you issued a deadly threat that anyone who flouted your sit-at-home order should “write his/her Will’. As a result banks, schools, markets, shopping malls, fuel stations domiciled in the Eastern states of Nigeria were not opened for businesses, citizens and vehicular movements in the Eastern States of Nigeria were grounded within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 3: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abla State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court professed yourself to be a member and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, a proscribed organisation in Nigeria and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 4: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria in which you incite members of the public in Nigeria to hunt and kill Nigerian security personnel and that you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 5: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria in which you incite members of the public in Nigeria to hunt and kill families of Nigerian security personnel and that you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
Count 6: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahla North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria in which you incite members of the public in Nigeria to attack officers of the Nigerian Police Force and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 7: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahila North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria in which you incite members of the public in Nigeria to kill officers of the Nigerian Police Force and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 8: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the People of Nigeria in which you directed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, a proscribed organisation to manufacture bombs and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1(2) (f) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 9: That you Nnamdi Kanu, Male, Adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahla North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the People of Nigeria, with intent to destabilize the fundamental political and economic structures of Nigeria, you incite members of the public to stop the Anambra State Elections and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 10: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria, with intent to destabilise the fundamental political and economic structures of Nigeria, you incite members of the public to destroy public facilities and you thereby committed an ‘offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 11: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Urnuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to intimidate the population of Nigeria, in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria threatened members of the public not to come out on Monday the 31st day of May 2021 and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 12: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abla State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to incite members of the public to stage a violent revolution in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria and that you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 13: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibekuj Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to incite violence in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria you directed members of the public to burn down every Federal facility in Lagos resulting in major economic loss to the Federal Government and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 14: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between 2018 and 2021 made a broadcast received and heard in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to incite violence in furtherance of an act of terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria you directed members of the public to destroy public transport system in Lagos, resulting in major economic loss to the government and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (2) (h) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
Count 15: That you Nnamdi Kanu, male, adult, of Afaranukwu Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State on diverse dates between the months of March and April 2015 imported into Nigeria and kept in Ubullisiuzor in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, a Radio Transmitter known as Tram SOL concealed in a container of used household items which you declared as used household items, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 47 (2) (a) of Criminal Code Act, Cap, C45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The former charges (before amendment)
Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwidiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Kanu, in 2014 and 2015, in Nigeria and London, conspired to broadcast on Radio Biafra their plan to secede from Nigeria and form the Republic of Biafra, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C77 of 2004.
Kanu illegally smuggled radio transmitters into Nigeria, which he used to disseminate “hate broadcasts”, encouraging the “secession of the Republic of Biafra”, from Nigeria.
Kanu imported a Radio transmitter known as TRAM 50L, which was concealed in a container that was declared as used household items, to use same to disseminate information about secession plans by the IPOB.
Kanu, “on or about the 28th April, 2015 in London, United Kingdom did in a broadcast on Radio Biafra monitored in Enugu, Enugu state and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, referred to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a paedophile, a terrorist, an idiot and an embodiment of evil, knowing same to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004”.
The defendants committed treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The defendants managed the affairs of the IPOB, “an unlawful society”.
