The Supreme Court on Thursday, granted leave to the federal government to file 9 new grounds of appeal against the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The Court stated that the fresh grounds of appeal are aimed at shooting down the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which had in 2022, discharged and acquitted Kanu of all the charges levelled against him by the Federal Government.
A five-member apex court panel led by John Inyang granted the leave on Thursday while ruling on the motion by the counsel to the Federal Government, Tijani Gadzali SAN.
It will be recalled that the Court of Appeal had in July 2022, ordered Kanu to be released from detention, about two years after his arrest from Kenya in July 2021.
Justice Okoro held that the court also granted leave to the Federal Government to include these nine new grounds as part of its amended notice of appeal dated 28th October 2022.
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But Mike Ozekhome SAN, leading Kanu’s legal team, who had brought two motions, one seeking bail for him and another seeking for his transfer to the Kuje Correctional Facility to get proper medical attention citing his failing health at the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), had also prayed for an accelerated hearing of the matter.
The lawyers to the federal government told the court that he needed an adjournment which would afford him the opportunity to study the motions, particularly the transfer of the IPOB leader out of the custody of the DSS, and file a counter affidavit, stating that he just took over the matter.
As it seems likely that hearing the motion, particularly that seeking the transfer of Nnamdi Kanu may likely delay the hearing of the main suit, the court advised Ozekhome to withdraw the pending motions and enable him to focus on the main appeal and subsequently fixed May 11, for a hearing on the pending motion and the main appeal.
The Appeal court had on October 13, 2022, cleared Kanu of Alleged treason and terrorism charges against him after dismissing the remaining six counts levelled against him by the Federal Government.
The Appeal Court panel faulted the process of extraditing him back to Nigeria from Kenya on grounds of it being in breach of international protocol.
Another panel of the same court, however, on the 28th of October 2022, reversed its earlier decision ordering a stay of execution pending a hearing and determination of the appeal of the supreme court.
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