The Supreme Court has scheduled December 15 as the date for delivering its judgment in the appeal filed by the Federal Government against a Court of Appeal ruling that overturned the criminal charges pressed against Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and ordered his release.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun confirmed the judgment date after hearing arguments presented by Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, and Tijani Gazali SAN, who represented the Federal Government.
The Federal Government argued that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had upheld seven counts of charges against Kanu, should be upheld. This would pave the way for his trial to proceed.
In contrast, Mike Ozekhome contended that Nnamdi Kanu had been unlawfully detained by the Federal Government since 2021. He urged the court to affirm the Court of Appeal’s decision, which had dismissed the charges against Kanu and ordered his immediate release.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had rendered its judgment on October 13, 2022. In that judgment, the remaining seven-count criminal charges brought against Kanu by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja were dismissed. The high court had initially retained seven out of the original 15 counts against Kanu but later struck out eight charges. Justice Binta Nyako, while striking out eight charges, had determined that Kanu still had to address questions related to seven other counts.
| Daily Post