Enyinnaya Abaribe Speaks On Nnamdi Kanu’s Whereabouts

I don't know where Kanu is, Abaribe replies FG
Embattled senator representing Abia South
Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has
denied the claim by the Federal Government
that the leader of the proscribed Indigenous
People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is in his custody.
The Federal Government had earlier replied to
Abaribe's application seeking to withdraw as
one of the sureties for Kanu, describing the
application as belated.
The government in its counter-affidavit and
written address filed before the Federal High
Court in Abuja to oppose Abaribe's request, told
the senator that Kanu was in his custody and he
had to produce him for the continuation of his
trial.
But Abaribe in a response to a question on
whether Kanu was actually in his custody, the
senator in a text message said, "I don't know
where he is."
The Federal Government, however, stated in its
counter-affidavit that Abaribe was aware that
Kanu "has long violated the bail conditions
handed down by this honourable court" on April
24, 2017 before September 11 when he claimed
to have lost contact with the defendant.
The counter-affidavit read in part, "That it was
at this point at violating the conditions at the
bail that the senator surety ought to surrender
the 1st defendant and or bring up this
application; That this application is belated and
ill-timed;
"The applicant failed to apply to the court
timeously, stating on oath that the defendant
bound by recognizance to appear before this
court had violated the bail condition given by
this court."
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran,
argued in the written address that Abaribe
"failed woefully" by allegedly aiding and abetting
Kanu to flout his bail conditions.
Denying that Kanu was not in the custody of the
Nigerian Army, the Federal Government stated
in its counter-affidavit that the defendant was
in Abaribe's custody.
Abaribe however denied Kanu's whereabouts.
"I don't know where he is. But that is a question
that will be resolved by the suit we have
instituted," he stated.
Kanu was absent from court when his case
came up on October 17, 2017, but his co-
defendants with whom he was being prosecuted
on charges of treasonable felony were produced
in court by prison officials.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja on
Monday fixed November 14 for the hearing of
the application filed by IPOB to challenge its
proscription.
The suit was scheduled for hearing before
Justice Abdu Kafarati, who is the Acting Chief
Judge of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday,
but it was learnt that the judge was absent from
court as he was said to be attending a seminar
elsewhere.
Court registrars were said to have fixed
November 14 for hearing under the instruction
of the judge.
IPOB's lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said on
Monday that the Federal Government had yet to
respond to the application.
IPOB had on September 22 asked the court to
set aside the orders proscribing it and
designating it as a terrorist group.