On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, announced in a press conference in Abuja that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had been arrested and extradited to Nigeria from Kenya, after being intercepted in the East African country on Sunday, June 26, 2021, by Interpol.
Yesterday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory upheld the appeal of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. The court also discharged and acquitted the embattled leader of the proscribed group.
The Appellate Court held that the Federal Government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria thereby making the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.
The Appeal Court in a judgment by Justice Oludotun Adebola voided and set aside the charges by the Federal Government against Kanu. The Appellate Court proceeded to discharge Kanu from the alleged offenses.
Reacting to the judgment, FG, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, contended that Kanu was merely discharged by the appellate court and not acquitted.
A statement the AGF made available to newsmen through his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, 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”.
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