The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed the hearing of the case concerning the leader of the Outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, until September 14.
The case primarily involves the federal government’s appeal challenging last year’s Court of Appeal decision that dismissed the terrorism and felony treason charges against Mr. Kanu.
The Biafran secessionist also has an application for bail with alternative sentence pending before the Supreme Court for the transfer of his custody from the State Security Service (SSS) to the Kuje penitentiary center in Abuja.
A five-member panel of judges headed by John Okoro on Thursday adjourned the lawsuit despite frantic efforts by Kalu’s legal team to convince the court to hear the case and not postpone it to another date.
The IPOB leader’s lead lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Counsel for Nigeria (SAN), urged the court during the proceedings to hear a motion that could help address the rapidly deteriorating health conditions of his client in SSS custody.
But the federal government’s attorney, Tijani Gadzali, SAN, opposed the position and asked for time to file a response to Mr. Ozekhome’s response brief.
The court, influenced by Mr. Gadzali’s position, adjourned the case until September 27.
On April 27, the panel had adjourned the case until Thursday for the hearing of the requests that came up in the appeal.
He News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Mr. Ozekhome told reporters after proceedings on Thursday that he has a pending application seeking the release of Mr. Kanu on bail, or an order to transfer the detainee from SSS custody to Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja. .
Speaking about the state of health of the IPOB leader in SSS custody, Mr Ozekhome said: “I expressed my fears regarding Kanu’s state of health, which I described as life-threatening.”
“The court requires a person to appear for a trial, not a ‘seated trial’, a ‘lying trial’ or a ‘prostrate trial’, which means that Kanu, with his state of health, cannot be tried,” he added. lawyer.
Newslodge reported that the Supreme Court, in its previous session, authorized the federal government to increase its grounds of appeal to 13.
Both the federal government’s appeal and Mr. Kau’s application are the two main issues pending in court.
Background
Kanu, who is leading a breakaway campaign for the secession of the mainly Igbo-speaking southeastern states and parts of neighboring states as an independent Republic of Biafra, is jailed at the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters in Abuja.
His trial on felony charges of treason and terrorism began after his arrest for his separatist activities in 2015. But the case was halted after he fled the country following a military invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu state. Abia. him while he was out on bail in September 2017.
The IPOB leader was forcibly brought from Kenya by the Nigerian government in June 2021 to stand trial.
However, in ruling on an application that Mr. Kanu later filed to challenge the full 15 charges, the federal high court of first instance in Abuja dismissed eight of the charges as inappropriate.
Displeased with the court’s partial discharge, Mr. Kanu proceeded to appeal to the Abuja Court of Appeal to attack the remainder of the seven charges.
The Court of Appeal granted his request, dismissing the remaining seven charges and ordering his release in a judgment handed down on October 13, 2022.
The appeals court based its decision on its finding that the rendition mode of returning Mr. Kanu to Nigeria violated local and international law.