Supreme Court Allows Federal Govt To Appeal Against Kanu’s Release

Federal government has secured fresh permission from the Supreme Court to file nine grounds of appeal to oppose the release of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.

The apex court granted the request to include the fresh grounds in its amended notice of appeal dated October 28, 2022.

The ruling followed an application that was moved by a government lawyer, Mr Tijani Gadzali, SAN, who equally sought an adjournment to respond to Kanu’s request to be transferred from the detention facility of the Department of State Services, DSS, to the Kuje Correctional Centre.

Gazzali told the court that he would need time to file a counter-affidavit to oppose Kanu’s request.

Consequently, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Inyang Okoro adjourned the case till May 11 for definite hearing.

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It will be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had in a judgement delivered on October 13, 2022, ordered Kanu’s release from detention.

In a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, the appellate court equally quashed a 15-count terrorism charge that federal government entered against the detained IPOB leader, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court said it was satisfied that federal government flagrantly violated all known laws, when it forcefully rendered Kanu from Kenya to the country for the continuation of his trial.

It held that such arbitrary use of power by the Nigerian government, divested the trial court of the jurisdiction to continue with Kanu’s case.