Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu G. Agabi and lead counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has stated that the Department of State Service (DSS) never denied him access to his client.
He also said the trial of the IPOB leader, which has run for 10 years, has to come to an end.
In a letter to Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to the DSS in the case against the IPOB leader, dated May 16, Agabi said contrary to media reports he was never denied access to Kanu.
“I take this opportunity to refute the allegation that they (DSS) denied me access to the defendant. This is not so at all.”
On the long trial of the IPOB leader, the former AGF, in the letter, also said: “This charge has been hanging over the head of the defendant for 10 years now. It has to be brought to an end. The defendant must be prosecuted as is being done. And he must defend himself as he is doing. The defendant and his supporters ought not to be angry that he is being prosecuted. Nor should his opponents be angry that he is defending himself.”
Clearing air on reports in the social media over Kanu’s trial, he said: “I apologise, firstly, for myself to the court and your good self for the mistakes that I have made in the conduct of this case so far. I realised that I have made quite a few.
“I apologise, secondly, for whoever is responsible for the false reports in the social and other media of the proceedings in this case. For some of us in the defense team, we are on it not to plead our merit or competence but the mercy of God in the fervent hope that the peace that has eluded our country for so long will be our lot.
“We are in this case defending vigorously and prayerfully as we ought to. We took up this defence in fulfilment of our duty to the profession and in compliance with our ethics. To do otherwise would have been to condemn him beforehand. This is our service to the nation. This is our service to the defendant. This is our service to the Lord.
“In rendering it, we pray for the learned trial judge. We pray for you, the prosecutor. We pray for ourselves whose fortune it is to defend. We pray for the witnesses. We pray for the defendant.
“We commend the court for its fairness. We commend the prosecution for its openness. We commend the DSS for all the cooperation we have received from them so far. I take this opportunity to refute the allegation that they denied me access to the defendant. This is not so at all.
“We are in no position to say that it is the supporters of the defendant who report distorted versions of the proceeding of this honourable court.”