Supreme Court to determine Nnamdi Kanu's fate Friday

Nurudeen Shotayo 22:25 - 14 December 2023

Proscribed leader of IPOV, Nnamdi Kanu flanked by his lawyers Mike Ozekhome and Ifeanyi Ejiofor. (Channels TV)

The apex court will rule on the appeal seeking to compel the Federal Government to release the IPOB leader.

The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, will know his fate on Friday, December 15, 2023, as the Supreme Court will rule on his case.

A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun in October fixed the date to deliver judgement on the appeal seeking to compel the Federal Government to free Kanu.

This was after counsel for both the Federal Government and the detained IPOB leader adopted their final briefs of argument.

Kanu's team of lawyers, led by Kanu Agabi, presented his appeal to the Supreme Court panel through Mike Ozekhome.

Ozekhome prayed the court to order the immediate release of his client from detention and equally award hefty and punitive costs against the Federal Government.

For his part, counsel to the government, Tijani Gazzali, urged the apex court to uphold the amended brief he filed on May 3, 2023.

Gazzali prayed the court to set aside the Court of Appeal's judgement, which ordered Kanu's release, and order the resumption of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on terrorism.

He further urged the apex court to dismiss Kanu’s cross-appeal.

Recall the Court of Appeal, on October 13, 2022, delivered a judgement ordering the Federal Government to release the IPOB leader from detention.

The court held that he was abducted, ill-treated, and illegally repatriated from Kenya to answer to terrorism and treason charges in Nigeria.