By Adesina Soyooye
The Appeal Court, Abuja Division, has set the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, free.
In a unanimous judgement, the three-man Panel declared Kanu’s abduction and extraordinary rendition from Kenya by the Nigerian Government, illegal.
The Court consequently stopped any further proceeding /trial of Kanu.
The Appeal Court held that his abduction was done in clear and egregious violation of extant international laws, and declared that there is no justification whatsoever to warrant the arrest issued in Nigeria.
The Appeal Court said it cannot justify the illegality in the abduction and extraordinary rendition of Kanu.
The Court, also, discharged and acquitted Kanu of the terrorism charges against him.
Kanu had approached the Appeal Court and asked it to quash the terrorism charges levelled against him by the Federal Government.
Before his Appeal to a higher Court, Kanu was being prosecuted at a Federal High Court, Abuja, under the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako. Nyako had asked him to answer to seven -count charges out of the 15 brought against him by the FG.
But Kanu had argued that the Nigerian Court had no jurisdiction over the case as his alleged offences were not committed in Nigeria.
The three-man Panel of Appeal Court Judges, led by the Honourable Justice Justice Hanatu Sankey allowed Kanu’s appeal, and discharged and acquitted him of all charges against him. The Court, also, declared illegal his abduction from Kenya.
The Nigerian Government had abducted Kanu from Nairobi, Kenya, in June 2021 and arraigned him before a Federal High Court on charges ranging from alleged treasonable felony to terrorism.
He has been under the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, as ordered by the Court.
There has been no reaction yet from the Federal Government. Within the IPOB Camp, it is jubilation galore.
Kanu’s legal team was led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
