The Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, will on October 27, deliver judgment on the case of the extraordinary rendition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed this following the Appeal Court’s ruling, which discharged and acquitted the IPOB leader.
He explained that the ruling of the Appeal Court would not stop the Umuahia Federal High Court.
A statement by Ejimakor on Wednesday reads: “This Press Release is compelled by the avalanche of inquiries I have been receiving from the media and others on whether the judgment set for 27th October at the Federal High Court, Umuahia on the suit I filed on extraordinary rendition will still hold. The answer is: Yes, it will still hold.
“The inquiries are apparently necessitated by the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on 13th October. Despite this Court of Appeal judgment, the Federal High Court, Umuahia will still proceed with its own judgment on 27th October 2022 as was previously scheduled.
“My office has not received, and we do not expect to receive any notice from the court that the judgment has been adjourned.
“In my awareness that these inquiries mostly emanated from the major and significant impact extraordinary rendition had on the Court of Appeal judgment, I will hasten to add that, despite the common presence of extraordinary rendition, the issues and reliefs before the Court of Appeals in Abuja are markedly different from the issues and reliefs pending judgment before the Federal High Court, Umuahia.
“To be sure, the sole reason for the common presence of extraordinary rendition in both cases is because I had, as far back as August 2021, taken it before the State High court in Umuahia and later to the Federal High court.
“In summary, the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja considered the narrow issue of the impact of extraordinary rendition on the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Abuja to subject Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to trial. Conversely, the issues or prayers before the Federal High Court, Umuahia are many and different from the narrow issue of jurisdiction decided in the Abuja judgment.
“In summary, the case in Umuahia is sui generis as it borders on fundamental rights, whereas the judgment in Abuja bordered on jurisdiction.
“In conclusion, as the public has been previously informed by my clients, there is no Sit-at-home on the judgment day of 27th October, 2022. Please be guided accordingly.”
About 72 hours after being set free by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is still being held in the custody of the Department of State Services.
But Senior Counsel for Kanu and Lead Counsel for the IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said the legal team would be formally approaching the DSS Headquarters on Monday with the enrolled order of court and judgment of the Court of Appeal, which would be available for immediate compliance.
While citing legal authorities, he said the freedom of Nnamdi Kanu, which was his fundamental and constitutionally guaranteed right, could not be stayed.
Should the government and its security agencies refuse to release Kanu, he said far-reaching extant legal remedies, including reporting Nigeria to international agencies, would be activated to ensure immediate compliance with the court order. Ejiofor said these in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.
Nnamdi Kanu: Anxiety in IPOB leader’s Abia community
There are uncertainties in Afaraukwu, Abia State country home of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Newsone Nigeria reports that when the news broke that the Appeal Court had ordered for Kanu’s release, there was wild celebration in the area. However, the hopes that Kanu would join his kinsmen soon became slim after the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami hinted otherwise.
Recall that Kanu was earlier in October 2015, arraigned by Nigerian authorities on an 11-count charge bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory matter, illegal possession of firearms and improper importation of goods, among others.
He was granted bail in April, 2017, for medical reasons. However, Mr Kanu fled the country after an invasion of his home by the military in Afaraukwu, Umuahia, Abia State.
In 2021, Kanu was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria. He was then re-arraigned.
With his people celebrating his freedom, Malami is saying otherwise, with his assertion that Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted.
Kanu’s kinsmen from the Ibeku ancient clan in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State are now worried that the Federal Government may not obey the Appeal Court order.
Fresh trouble may be in the offing for the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, as the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, clarified that Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted.
Malami dropped a hint on Thursday in his first reaction to the Court of Appeal verdict, which on the same day quashed the terrorism charges against Kanu on grounds of his unlawful abduction from Kenya to Nigeria.
A statement from Malami’s office read, “The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has received the news of the decision of the Court of Appeal concerning the trial of Nnamdi Kanu.
“For the avoidance of doubt and by the verdict of the court, Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted.
“Consequently, the appropriate legal options before the authorities will be exploited and communicated accordingly to the public.
“The decision handed down by the court of appeal was on a single issue that borders on rendition.
“Let it be made clear to the general public that other issues that predate rendition on the basis of which Kanu jumped bail remain valid issues for judicial determination.
“The Federal Government will consider all available options open to us on the judgment on rendition while pursuing determination of pre-rendition issues.
The statement was released by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.
Newsone reports that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has discharged and acquired the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of terrorism charges.
This online news platform understands that the Biafra activist Kanu approached the Appeal Court seeking to quash terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
IPOB leader had faulted the order of Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, which ordered him to answer seven out of the 15-count terrorism charge against him.
The IPOB leader had prayed the appellate court to quash the entire charges and set him free on various grounds. He had said the purported offences were not committed in Nigeria.
Ruling on the matter today, Thursday, October 13, 2022, Justice Hanatu Sankey-led 3-man panel of Justices, discharged Kanu.
Appeal Court to rule on Nnamdi Kanu’s case today by 2 PM
The Court of Appeal, Abuja will deliver judgment in the case between the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and the Federal Government on Thursday.
Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor made this known on Wednesday in a statement titled, “Update on Onyendu’s Court of Appeal case.”
A statement by Ejiofor partly read, “We wish to inform all followers of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, that we just received NOTIFICATION from the Court of Appeal Abuja Judicial Division, that the long-awaited Judgment in Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022 BETWEEN: MAZI NNAMDI KANU VS. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, will be delivered tomorrow, the 13th Day of October 2022, at 2:00 PM.”
“We are very excited with this news as we look forward to a victorious outing tomorrow. The hour has come! Please do not relent in your prayers as they are positively impacting. We will surely have every cause to rejoice for Victory is ours and it shall surely end in praises.”
