DSS Reacts To The Court Of Appeal Judgement On Kanu’s Releases Order
The Department of State Services (DSS) has reacted to the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The spokesman of the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya has declined comment on the next step of the agency after the order issued by the court of Appeal on Thursday.
According to the report on Punch, Dr. Peter Afunanya referred inquiries on the judgment passed by the Court of Appeal to the Ministry of Justice. According to the report, a lawyer, Jiti Ogunye disclosed that the DSS was bound to obey the court order which authorized the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader.
The lawyer noted that the prosecutor did not have a strong case against Kanu hence the decision of the Court of Appeal, to strike out eight of the 15 charges which were preferred against him. The lawyer said, “The lesson here is for the state to learn competency. The prosecution team was standing on quicksand even before the matter was appealed. Henceforth, the Nigerian state will have to learn competency.”
According to the report, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo SAN, disclosed that the Court of Appeal has proven that the court of law is the last hope of every Nigerian. His statement reads, “The judgment of the Court of Appeal seems to be correct until it is set aside by the Supreme Court. However, there is an aspect of it that I read. The Court of Appeal held that the extradition of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria was illegal and that illegality constitutes a bar to any further trial. That is the basis of the judgment.
” All that the Court of Appeal said is that Nnamdi Kanu ought not to have been put on trial in the first instance. The Court of Appeal has proved that the court of law is the last hope of every Nigerian.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar was not so pleased in his reaction to the judgment of the Appeal Court. It may appear that the Supreme Court will have the final order on the matter.