Supreme Court has granted the application of the federal government of Nigeria to file additional nine grounds in its appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal discharging detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
On October 13, Gatekeepers News reported that the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja discharged and acquitted Kanu of all treasonable felony and terrorism charges levelled against him by the government.
The Court of Appeal further barred any court from trying him and ordered his immediate and unconditional release from detention where he had been incarcerated since June 2021 when he was ‘abducted’ in Kenya and renditioned to Nigeria.
More than six months after the judgement, the federal government has continued to detain the IPOB leader in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The government subsequently filed an appeal against the judgement of the Appeal Court at the Supreme Court, challenging its decisions.
On Thursday when the case came up for hearing, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice John Okoro, granted the federal government’s request.
The Judges further ruled on a motion for leave to file additional grounds of appeal moved by its lawyer, Tijani Gazali (SAN).
The court equally granted the government leave to include the additional nine grounds as part of its amended notice of appeal dated October 28, 2022, the Nation reports.
On his part, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the leader of the team of lawyers representing IPOB, reminded the apex court of pending motions filed by his client, including one in which he is praying to be relocated to Kuje Prison from his current place of detention – a facility owned by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Ozekhome told the court that his client, Kanu was seriously ill and required proper medical attention, adding that his client would have access to medical care at Kuje Prison.
Further hearing in the case has been adjourned till May 11.
