The Supreme Court has set December 15 as the date to deliver judgment on the appeal urging the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Previously, on October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled in favor of Kanu’s release and quashed terrorism charges brought by the Federal Government in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel.
However, dissatisfied with the judgment, the Federal Government appealed to the Supreme Court.
During Thursday’s proceedings, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, scheduled the matter for judgment after the parties adopted their final briefs.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Mike Ozehkome (SAN), while adopting his final brief, urged the court not only to order Kanu’s immediate release but also to impose a substantial punitive cost against the government. Ozekhome emphasized the need for justice, pointing out that Kanu had been in detention since June 29, 2021, even after the lower court had ordered his release.
In contrast, the Federal Government’s lawyer, Tijani Ghazali (SAN), appealed to the apex court to overturn the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which ordered Kanu’s release. He also requested the court to direct the resumption of Kanu’s trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges.
