IPOB: FG Appeals Judgment Freeing Kanu

THE Federal Government has appealled the judgment freeing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Supreme Court.

  The government also asked the apex court to stay the execution of the October 13 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu, as part of the reliefs in a motion for a stay of execution filed on Wednesday, October 19 before the Supreme Court by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

  In the motion contained a seven-ground notice of appeal, in which the government faulted the lower court’s decision and prayed that it be set aside, the government also argued that the Court of Appeal erred when it faulted the manner Kanu was brought back to face trial after he jumped bail and fled the country.

  It contended that the Court of Appeal erred when it struck out the pending charge against Kanu on the ground that the trial court no longer possessed the requisite jurisdiction to continue the trial because of the manner Kanu was returned to the country upon allegedly jumping bail.

  A date for the hearing of the motion for the stay of execution was being awaited.

  On Thursday, October 13, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, declared as unlawful, Kanu’s repatriation to Nigeria from Kenya and his subsequent arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja for the continuation of his trial on pending terrorism charges.

  The three-man panel of the court also quashed the terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja, holding that the Nigerian government breached all known local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria, thereby making the terrorism charge against him incompetent and unlawful.

  The judgment was based on an appeal filed by Kanu against an earlier ruling by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

  In the lead judgment, Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie declared as illegal and unlawful Kanu’s abduction from Kenya and his subsequent return to Nigeria and subsequently quashed the remaining seven counts in the 15-count charge filed by the Federal Government.

  Recall that Justice Nyako had, in an earlier ruling, quashed eight out of the 15 counts.