The Supreme Court of Nigeria has postponed the hearing of the legal suit brought by Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), to September 14. This decision was made by the apex court on Thursday, signaling a further delay in the resolution of the matter.
Nnamdi Kanu had approached the court in an attempt to appeal the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which had prevented his release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Back on October 28, 2022, the Court of Appeal had granted a stay of execution on its previous verdict, effectively halting Kanu’s discharge from the terrorism charges filed against him by the federal government.
The Court of Appeal’s decision, reached by a three-member panel led by Haruna Tsanami, was based on the approval of the application submitted by the federal government. This application sought to suspend the implementation of the previous ruling until the appeal before the Supreme Court could be heard and resolved.
Ever since Nnamdi Kanu’s extradition from Kenya on June 19, 2021, he has remained in detention. Following his return, Kanu was re-arraigned on an amended 15-count charge. However, on April 8, 2022, Judge Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed eight of the 15 counts listed in the charge. Subsequently, on October 13 of the same year, the Court of Appeal invalidated the remaining seven counts.
During the proceedings on Thursday, the Supreme Court approved the request made by Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation, to submit additional documents in response to Kanu’s recent filing, which had taken place on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the court noted that even if it were to proceed with hearing the appeal, it would be unable to deliver a verdict within the 90-day deadline due to its current schedule.
As a result, the case was adjourned once again, with the new date set for September 14. This further delay extends the legal process surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s situation and leaves him in custody until the Supreme Court is able to reach a resolution.
©Standard Gazette