Nnamdi Kanu, the head of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is facing an upgraded seven-count terrorism indictment from the federal government.
Since he was taken back from Kenya on June 19, 2021, Kanu has been held in custody.
The IPOB leader was then re-arrested on a charge with 15 more counts.
On April 8, the trial court dismissed eight of the charge’s fifteen counts. On October 13, the court of appeal later overturned the remaining seven counts.
A three-member panel of the appellate court chaired by Hanatu Sankey rendered decision in the appeal and found that the federal government had violated the respondent’s rights by violating international agreements and treaties and the Terrorism Act.
The trial court was further declared to lack jurisdiction to continue Kanu’s trial due to the illegal and forced rendition of the appellant.
The IPOB leader has not yet been released by the federal authorities.
Instead, it appealed the decision of the appeals court to the Supreme Court.
Additionally, it submitted a request to halt the judgment of the appeal court from taking effect.
The court of appeal decided the application and agreed to the government’s request.
The federal government has returned to the trial court to file an amended charge with the case number FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 while its appeal and Kanu’s cross-appeal are still pending before the Supreme Court.
The remaining seven charges that were previously upheld by the trial court are the claims in the amended charge.
The accusation states that Kanu made a broadcast that was audible throughout Nigeria in which he threatened to write a will for everyone who disobeyed a sit-at-home order in the south-east.
The federal authorities claimed that because of the threat, businesses in the south-east have continued to close, impeding pedestrian and vehicular traffic. This includes banks, schools, marketplaces, retail centers, and gas stations.
The federal government also claimed that Kanu had violated the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act of 2013’s section 1(2)(h) by encouraging people to attack Nigerian security personnel and their families through broadcasts made on various dates between 2018 and 2021.
Discussion about this post