ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Supreme Court has set 15 December as the date for delivering its judgment on the appeal seeking the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from detention.
Mazi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his arrest in Kenya.
A five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun approved the matter for judgment after both the Federal Government of Nigeria and Kanu’s legal team presented their final arguments.
Kanu’s legal team, led by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN, argued for his immediate release and requested substantial punitive costs to be awarded against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
They emphasized that Kanu had been detained unconstitutionally since 29 June, 2021, despite a lower court’s order for his release.
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On the other hand, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Mr. T. A. Gazzali, SAN, of the Federal Ministry of Justice, urged the Supreme Court to uphold their appeal and set aside the Court of Appeal’s judgment that ordered Kanu’s release.
They also requested the resumption of his terrorism-related trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had previously ordered Kanu’s release from detention and quashed the terrorism charges against him.
It cited the government’s violation of established laws by forcibly bringing Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria as a reason for its decision.
However, the Federal Government of Nigeria appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which also temporarily suspended the execution of the Court of Appeal’s judgment.