The Appeal Court in Abuja has discharged all charges against the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The three-man panel who handled the case said Nnamdi Kanu does not have any more cases to answer as the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction to try him.
Court ruled Kanu’s arrest in Kenya as illegal because the extradition process was not followed; thus, he was brought into Nigeria illegally.
This came after his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome begged the court to strike out the remaining seven-count charges retained by the Federal High Court after they striked out eight from the 15.
Earlier, Justice Jummai Hannatu Saki striked out thei motion of accelerated hearing, owing to the fact that it was overtaken by events.
She also waived the bail application for Nnamdi Kanu, pending the Appeal court ruling.
Nigerian government gave the proscribed IPOB leader a 15-count charge bordering on terrorism, treason, secession and being a member of IPOB group outlawed by the government.
But in May 2022, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court removed some of the charges from 15 to seven.
The Federal High Court in a sitting at Abuja dismissed the bail application of Nnamdi Kanu.
Trial Judge, Justice Binta described the application as “gross abuse of the court process.”
Justice Nyako in her ruling in June 2022 said the suit was an attempt to continue to litigate on issues they has been ruled upon.
She advised the applicant to approach the Court of Appeal on the issue of bail.
Justice Nyako adjourned the case to 14 November for mention and to also know the outcome of the case in the Appeal court.
Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu said he is fighting to defend his people and not to kill them.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra added that the Biafra struggle is to fight for the people and not to kill the people of the region.
Kanu said this while responding to the outcome of his bail application in the Federal High Court, Abuja during an interview after his trial:
“I’m not disappointed, why would I be, we expected it to happen, but I want our people to be very calm, I want Biafra land to be peaceful, calm and very very peaceful.
We are fighting to defend our people, not to kill them. We are fighting to defend them, that’s why I am here, and we will continue to do so until we get victory.” He said.
Kanu was arrested on June 27, 2021 by security agencies in Kenya.
Since then, his trial which attracted the interest of many Nigerians and others around the world began for him to face charges levelled against him by the Federal Government.
