Following the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on 13th of October discharging the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, his lead counsel Chief Mike Ozekome, SAN, has written to the Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN and the Director General of the State Security Service demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
In the letter dated October 17, 2022 addressed to both the AGF and the DG SSS, Ozekhome premised his demand on the judgment of the Appellate Court which struck out all the charge against Kanu.
The letter to the DG SSS reads in part:
Recall that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was forcibly abducted from Kenya and was consequently extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria. Upon being brought before the court on the 29th day of June, 2021, the court directed that he be remanded in the facility of the State Security Service. Mazl Nnamdi Kanu has been in your custody from the said 29th June, 2022, till date.
Following the heinous manner in which he was abducted and consequently renditioned to Nigeria, we challenged the jurisdiction of the court to try Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, predicated on this extraordinary rendition, amongst other grounds. The trial ~curt partly upheld the preliminary objection and consequently struck out 8 out of the 15-count amended charge pending against Nnamdl Kanu.
Being dissatisfied with the said decision of the trial court, we appealed against same
The Court of Appeal while delivering its judgement on the 13th day of October, 20l2, unanimously condemned the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria and the gross violations of his rights. The Court of Appeal consequently allowed the
appeal. The ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, per Hon. Justice B.F.M. Nyako, delivered on the 8th April, 2022, was accordingly set aside by the Appellate.
The Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, which had been pending against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu since 2015, was consequently terminated and struck out, and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was discharged by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal further unanimously held that the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a permanent bar to any prosecution or indictment against Mazi Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in any court in Nigeria. It becomes incumbent on you to IMMEDIATELY and UNCONDITIONALLY release Mazi Nnamdl Kanu presently held in your custody, in compliance with the said Judgment
On the strength of this Judgment of a superior court of record, we respectfully urge your good office to:
- immediately comply with the Judgment of the Court herein attached.
- order the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu, now being illegally held in solitary confinement in your facility,
Read full letters below: