By Seun Opejobi The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has explained why it arrested the leader of the Indigenous Peo...
By Seun Opejobi
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has
explained why it arrested the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB,
Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya and returned him to Nigeria.
It explained that Kanu was subjected to extraordinary
rendition from Kenya so he could continue his ongoing trial in Nigeria.
The explanation was contained in the Federal Government’s amended notice of appeal before the Supreme Court marked: SC/CR/1361/2022.
The appeal was against the October 13, 2022 judgment of the
Court of Appeal in Abuja, where it held that Kanu’s extraordinary rendition
from Kenya to Nigeria robs the trial court of its jurisdiction to try him on
the seven-count charge on which he was being tried before the IPOB leader
absconded.
In the 13-ground amended notice of appeal filed by David
Kaswe of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Government argued that
the Appeal Court erred when they “held that the extraordinary rendition of the
Kanu robbed the trial court of the jurisdiction to hear the pending charges
before the court even before the respondent illegally jumped bail and
absconded.
“Kanu was standing trial on a 5-count charge preferred
against him by the federal government. In the course of proceedings, he
illegally jumped bail and absconded from Nigeria.
“The respondent was only returned to Nigeria to continue his
trial before the court,” it said.
The Federal Government accused the Appeal Court of failing
to consider the illegality of Kanu jumping bail and his refusal to make himself
available for trial, which necessitated his return to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court okayed the Federal Government
to file nine grounds of appeal.
A five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice John Okoro
granted the Federal Government permission for the appeal.
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