The trial notice entitled “Federal Republic of Nigeria Versus Nnamdi Kanu” was marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/15 and served on Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, and that of the federal government Mr. Shuaib Labaran.

The one-page document showed that the court carefully and explicitly spelt out the dos and don’ts for lawyers of the contending parties to avoid an abortion of the trial which commenced in 2015 when Kanu was first arrested in Lagos upon arrival from the United Kingdom.

The document read in part, “This case will be transferred from the General Cause List to the hearing paper for Thursday, 21st October 2021, at 9 o’clock forenoon and will come on to be on that day if the business of the court permits or otherwise on some adjustment day of which you will receive no further notice.

“If either party desires to suspend the hearing, he must apply to the court as soon as possible for that purpose and if the application is based on any matter of fact, he must be prepared to give proof of those facts.

“The parties are warned that at the hearing, they are expected to bring forward all the evidence by witnesses or by documents which each of them desires to rely on the backing of his case and in contradiction of that of his opponent.”

“The proof will be required at the hearing and not on the next day, and parties failing to bring their evidence forward at the proper time may find themselves absolutely precluded from adducing it at all, or at best only allowed to do so on payment of substantial costs to the other side, and such other terms as the court fits to impose.

“Parties desirous to enforce the attendance of witnesses should apply at once to the court to issue one or more summonses for the attendance of the witnesses required.

“It is indispensable that the application should be made to allow time for reasonable notice to the witnesses required.

“If the witness is required to bring books or papers, they must be particularized in the summons sufficiently to enable him to understand what is meant.

”Any party soliciting a witness through the court thereby becomes liable to pay such witness a reasonable sum of money to be fixed by the court for his expense and loss of time.

“The court may refuse to enforce the attendance of a witness unless such sum has been fixed and deposited in the court.

“If either party needs to use evidence at the hearing, any book or document in the possession or power of the other party, he must give the other party reasonable notice in writing to produce It at the hearing, failing which he will not be allowed to give any secondary evidence of its contents.”