Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the lead counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the deteriorating state of his client’s sight.
Ozekhome told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that Kanu, who is currently in custody of the Department of State Service, DSS, may go blind if nothing was urgently done to restore his sight.
The senior lawyer, who recently took over the defence team of the embattled IPOB leader, said his client’s pair of eyeglasses was confiscated in 2015, when he was initially arrested by DSS operatives, following his return to Nigeria from the United Kingdom.
He equally told the court that a new pair that Kanu bought was also seized from him during his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
Besides, Ozekhome bemoaned that despite an express order of the court, the DSS declined to allow the IPOB leader to have a change of clothing. He alleged that the security agency refused to allow Kanu to receive new clothes that were brought to him by his younger brother, Emmanuel.
“My Lord will still see the defendant in the same uniform which my lord warned against in the last proceedings.
“It will be recalled that they had on that day alleged that he said that he preferred to wear the same cloth because it is designers.
“However, since that time, the younger brother of the defendant, his lawyer and sister have gone three times with materials for him to change, but they refused collecting them.
“So bad was it that Ejiofor had to call the Director of Legal Services and complained to him.
“The Director told him that he would do something about it, that he would contact the Director of Operations to ensure that the order was carried out.
“But since then, nothing has been done. They have not allowed him to change his clothes.”
On the issue of Kanu’s sight, Ozekhome said: “My lord, since 2015, his glasses were taken from him.
“The one he wore before his extraordinary rendition from Kenya was also taken from him.
“Till now, he does not have glasses to wear and his sight is deteriorating.
“My Lord we do not want the Defendant to go blind, that is why we have decided to bring it to the attention of the court.”
After listening to Ozekhome, trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako ordered DSS access to his reading glasses.
On the matter regarding the change of clothes, lawyer to the prosecution, Shuaib Labaran said the clothes brought by Kanu’s family had lion heart drawn on it, adding that such designs offend their operating procedures of the SSS.
Justice Nyako later asked Kanu to indicate the type of cloth he prefers to wear. In response, Kanu said: “I want to wear the clothes of my people, “isi agu,’ a choice the judge turned down.
Meanwhile Kanu has filed fresh applications challenging the competence of the amended 15-count charge filed against him.
He is praying the court to quash the charge on the grounds that they are frivolous and that the alleged offences were committed outside Nigeria.
The prosecution has argued against the applications and prayed the court to dismiss them.
The court has adjourned till April 8 for ruling on whether or not to quash the charge.
