By Deborah Onyofufeke
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, stated that it would communicate the judgement date on an appeal filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu
Kanu, had filed an appeal for the appellate court to quash the terrorism and treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
A three-man panel led by Justice Jummai Hanatu, had stated that it hasn’t found a reason to look into the issue of bail since the substantive appeal was ripe for hearing.
Kanu, who is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, approached the appellate court to query the legal competence of the charge pending against him.
He prayed the appellate court to review the April 8 ruling of the trial court which struck out only eight out of the 15-count charge, while he further prayed to the court of Appeal to order his release on bail, pending the determination of his appeal.
Stating that, the charge FG entered against him had no basis in law, Kanu, in his appeal dated April 29 and marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022, applied to be discharged and acquitted.
Kanu’s lead Comsel, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, argued that his client was forcefully abducted from Kenya and illegally brought back to Nigeria
He added that the Federal Government has never denied the forceful abduction and rendition of his client.
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He further stated that his client did not breach the terms of bail yet, he was forcefully abducted from Kenya, tortured and renditioned back to the country without following any extradition process
He noted that Kenya ought to have authorized his client’s rendition, being the country where he was arrested and renditioned
He urged the panel of Judges, to strike out the remaining counts and held that the Respondent has not established any prima-facie case against the Appellant for which he could be tried
Counsel to the federal government, Mr. David Kaswe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit maintaining that the IPOB leader was brought back to the country by due process of the law.
He added that the trial court was wrong to have struck out the eight counts as it did.
He also said It is only after the FG has produced all its witnesses and tendered its evidence that the Appellant could claim that no prima-facie case was established.
Though the appeal was initially fixed for October 11, however, following an application the embattled IPOB leader filed for abridgement of time, the appellate court brought the matter forward for hearing.
