The Nigerian Government has approached the Supreme Court on Thursday to appeal against the ruling of the Appeal Court in Abuja on October 13, 2022 which discharged and acquitted the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu of the charges brought against him by the government.
The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, is seeking a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal judgment that freed Nnamdi Kanu.
Local media reports said that the Nigerian government motion before the apex court contained a seven-ground notice of appeal in which it faulted the Appeal Court’s decision and prayed the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling.
It will be recalled that in its ruling,, the Appeal Court faulted the way and manner Kanu was extradited to face trial in Nigeria and stated that it was against all known treaties and discharged and acquitted the IPOB leader.
The Appeal Court also held that Kanu’s extradition from Kenya in June 2021 to Nigeria was a flagrant violation of Nigeria’s extradition treaty and a breach of the IPOB leader’s fundamental human rights.
It held that there was no denial by the Nigerian government’s lawyer, David Kaswe, in the appeal as to the submissions of Kanu’s counsel, that the separatist leader was “extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya.”
The appellate court held that the failure of the Nigerian government to adequately respond to Kanu’s arguments gave merit to the appeal.
Meanwhile, some prominent Nigerians from the South East geo-political zone of the country as well as Senators and Lawmakers in the nation’s National Assembly have severally appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of Kanu. But the Nigerian leader advised them to await the outcome of the judicial process, which unfortunately for the government, discharged and acquitted Kanu.
GIK/APA