Justice James Tsoho of a Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request by the prosecution to allow witnesses testify behind a witness screen ‎in the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

A witness screen is a device positioned in the courtroom to shield a witness from seeing the accused person(s).

While dismissing the objection made on Monday, by Kanu’s lawyer, Chuks Muoma (SAN), the judge ruled that the federal government’s request for its witnesses to testify behind a witness screen does not translate to them wearing masks.

The court had earlier issued a ruling prohibiting the ‎prosecution witnesses from wearing mask during the trial of the Radio Biafra Director.

Justice Tosho held that the prosecution lawyer, Mohammed Diri, had simply argued that the screen would only shield the witnesses from the members of the public present in court.

He said the use of the screen would not prevent the judge, the accused persons and lawyers to the parties to see the witnesses while testifying.

He therefore fixed Wednesday, March 9, for the commencement of the trial.