The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has taken legal action against the Federal Government of Nigeria on the ruling of the Appeal Court staying execution of the court judgement discharging him.
PM News reports that the IPOB leader has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the ruling of the Appeal Court on its judgement.
The appellate court had on October 13, freed Kanu of all charges of terrorism and treasonable felony levelled against him by the Federal Government.
The Appeal Court’s three-member panel in their judgment had set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which quashed eight out of the 15 counts of the charge levelled against Kanu by the State Security Service (SSS).
After delivering the judgment, Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, the Appeal Court declared the abduction of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria as illegal and unlawful.
The court also ordered the Federal Government to return the status quo by returning Kanu to Kenya while mandating FG to pay damages to the IPOB leader.
However, in its reaction, the FG applied for a stay of execution order, urging the court not to release Kanu as he was seen as a flight risk and security threat to the country.
In a swift turn out of events, the court granted FG’s request
The Punch reports that reacting to the fresh court’s decision, Kanu in a suit on Thursday, November 3, said the court erred in law by proceeding to hear and determine an application for a stay of execution in a criminal appeal.
Kanu citing Order 6 Rule 1 of the Court of Appeal Rules, 2021, and Section 17 of the Court of Appeal Act of 2004, described the court’s decision as a miiscarriage of justice.
Kanu’s lawyer speaks, releases details
Confirming the fresh legal move by the IPOb leader, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel for Nnamdi Kanu said his team appealed to the apex court to set aside the ruling of the appellate court.
Ejiofor noted that a decision to appeal the Appeal court judgment followed a thorough review of the ruling.
He said:
“Our well-informed position was given a final nod by our indefatigable client, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, during my last visit to him.”
No date has been fixed for a hearing in Kanu’s appeal.
