On Thursday, Kanu Agabi, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, applied to withdraw his representation in the ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu is facing a seven-count charge filed by the Federal Government, bordering on terrorism.
When the matter came up on Thursday, Agabi notified the court that he would no longer represent Kanu, adding that the defendant had chosen to take the case back from them.
In the same manner, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria involved in the case announced their withdrawal.
Kanu, verifying the development, advised the court that he would be representing himself currently, but observed that the position might change later.
During the proceedings, Justice James Omotosho, the trial judge, offered to assign a lawyer to represent Kanu, but Kanu rejected the offer.
Thereafter, Kanu orally addressed the court to initiate his defence, asserting that the court lacked jurisdiction to try him.
Recall that Justice Omotosho, on October 16, granted the defendant six consecutive days, beginning October 23, to present and conclude his defence in light of the accelerated hearing granted in the case.
Kanu had listed former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd); a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), and others as part of his witnesses.
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