There was increased security presence at the federal high court in Abuja Thursday morning in preparation for the rearraignment of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
Mr Kanu who was abducted from Kenya and brought back to the country in June is being detained at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) on the orders of the court.
The separatist leader has been at the forefront demanding the restoration of the defunct Biafra Republic since 2012 but came to limelight when President Muhammadu Buhari arrested him in 2015 after coming to power.
He was arraigned on 11-count charge which the court struck out six with five remaining before being released in April 2017. The Nigerian Army raided his Afaraukwu home in September of the same, forcing him to flee the country.
When he was abducted from Kenya, the SSS applied to the court to keep him in custody, a request the Justice Binta Nyako granted and adjourned to July 26. On the adjourned date, the secret police failed to produce the secessionist citing logistics failures.
Justice Nyako adjourned to October 21 and ordered the SSS to ensure the accused is brought before the court. The court also granted the prayers of the defense team seeking to meet their detained client.
The five treasonable and terrorism charges against him have now been increased to seven from five.
While security agencies comprising of the SSS, Army and Police personnel have taken over the court premises, barring journalist from entering into the premises, residents of the five South-East states complied with the sit-at-home order of IPOB.
The group had declared the weekly exercise still being complied with but suspended it after Mr Kanu intervened approving it be observed only on the days he will be in court.
Economic and social activities in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi came to a halt Thursday morning, according to multimedia reports circulating on social media.
