From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court on Monday, dismissed a fresh bail application filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The court equally refused Kanu’s request to be either transferred to prison custody or placed on house arrest.
However, it ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to always grant Kanu access to his team of lawyers, not exceeding five persons on every visiting day.
In addition, the court ordered that Kanu must be given “a clean place” to consult with his lawyers at the DSS detention facility, adding that he must be granted access to a doctor of his choice.
Kanu had prayed the court to release him on bail, pending the determination of the treasonable felony charge the Federal Government filed against him.
Justice Binta Nyako in her ruling said she was not minded to exercise its discretion in favour of the defendant, whom she said jumped the bail it earlier granted him.
Justice Nyako noted that those who stood surety for the defendant had, after he escaped from the country, approached the court and applied to be discharged from the case.
She held that the sureties, in their applications, claimed that they were not aware of the whereabouts of the defendant, a situation that forced the court to order the forfeiture of their N100 million bail bonds.
According to the trial court, the issue is currently pending before the Court of Appeal.
It held that having refused Kanu’s request for bail on several occasions, the only option available to him was to take the matter before the appellate court.
Meanwhile, Justice Nyako warned that any attempt by Kanu’s legal team to file similar applications before the court would be regarded as a gross abuse of the judicial process.
“You have an option of appeal; please exercise your right of appeal,” the trial judge added.