The Nigerian Supreme Court has refused to order the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the supreme leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
In its verdict, Friday 15 December, read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, but written by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court voided and set aside the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal in October last year which acquitted Mr. Kanu of several of the charges against him and ordered his immediate release on the account of the illegality of his arrest.
Kanu was arrested by Kenyan authorities and, according to his defense, was later “extraordinarily renditioned” to Nigeria in June, without due extradition procedure between both countries.
In today’s judgment, the Supreme Court held that although the Nigerian government recklessly and unlawfully rendered Kanu from Kenya, that illegality should not detract from the substantive charges of terrorism already preferred against the Biafran secessionist.
Justice Lawal stated that the legal suit seeking Kanu’s release solely on the grounds of unlawful abduction from Kenya did not make reference to any specific Nigerian law. He said the proper course of action in such case would be for Kanu to pursue a civil matter against the alleged abduction, rather than seeking to undermine the authority of the courts handling the criminal charges against him.
The apex court directed that Kanu should go and defend himself in the remaining 7 counts of terrorism charges against him. Already eight charges had earlier been squashed.
This development is a blow to the self-determination movement in the Southeastern and parts of Southsouthern Nigeria which had seen the possible release of Kanu as a boast to its message and to shore up its dwindling appeal with the people.
It remains to be seen if insecurity in the two regions will spike or now abate as most of the turbulence has been attributed to disgruntled youths who vowed there would be no peace in the while their leader languished in jail on behalf of his people.
Kanu’s Lawyers React
Aloy Ejimakor, Lead counsel to Mr. Kanu described the court’s ruling as “in fact disappointing and in fact satisfactory“. He said they will have to wait to get the full written judgment and study it before advising their client on the next course of action.
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