The legal team of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has initiated a committal proceeding against the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Magai Bichi, for allegedly disobeying a court order.
The lawyers accused the DG of the SSS, also known as the Department of State Services (DSS) of flagrant disobedience to the valid court order of the Federal High Court to provide Kanu’s lawyers with a facility to prepare for his defence in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015/
Justice B.F.M. Nyako on May 20, while rejecting Kanu’s bail application and his application to be transferred to a Nigerian Custodial Centre, ordered the SSS to make a room available to Kanu to prepare for his defence.
The court, however, said his legal team should not exceed five members.
The court had ruled thus: “That however, an order is hereby made varying the condition of visitation to him in custody to 3 days a week.
“He is to be given a safe and “clean” room to be made available to the Defendant at the present facility to prepare for his defence with his team of counsel not exceeding 5 in number.
“That they should be allowed such facility that is required for the preparation of his defence and be allowed to take notes.”
However, the court in Form 48 Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to the order of the court brought pursuant to order IX, Rule 13 of Sheriff and Civil Processes Act, CAP S6, LFN 2004, notified Bichi that he would be liable to be committed to prison if found guilty of contempt of court.
The notice filed on May 31, 2024, read: “TAKE NOTICE that unless you obey the directives contained in this Order overleaf (by complying with the directives contained at paragraphs 2 & 3 of the said order), you will be guilty of contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”