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The Supreme Court has scheduled December 15th as the date for delivering its judgment on the appeal that seeks to compel the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from detention.
A panel consisting of five members, with Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the leader, determined this date following the adoption of final briefs of argument by both the Federal Government’s counsel and the legal team representing the detained IPOB leader.
Kanu’s legal team, led by Kanu Agabi, presented their case, while Mike Ozehkome presented the appeal to the apex court panel. Ozehkome urged the court not only to order the immediate release of his client from detention but also to impose substantial and punitive costs on the Federal Government.
In his submission, Tijani Gazzali, counsel to the Federal Government, passionately implored the apex court to uphold the amended brief of argument he submitted on May 3, 2023.
He fervently requested the court to grant the Federal Government’s appeal, overturn the Court of Appeal’s judgment mandating Kanu’s release, and reinstate his trial on terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Furthermore, Gazzali strongly urged the apex court to reject Kanu’s cross-appeal.
On October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued a judgment ordering Kanu’s release from detention.
In a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, the appellate court also nullified a 15-count terrorism charge that the Federal Government had levied against the detained IPOB leader in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court found ample evidence that the Federal Government had blatantly disregarded established laws by forcibly repatriating Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria for his trial.
It firmly asserted that this arbitrary exercise of power by the Nigerian government stripped the trial court of its jurisdiction to continue with Kanu’s case.
Nonetheless, unsatisfied with this judgment, the Federal Government escalated the matter to the Supreme Court and successfully obtained a suspension of the judgment’s execution pending the outcome of its appeal.
