Nnamdi Kanu’s family laments delayed release of S’Court judgment

The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has decried the Supreme Court’s delay in providing the Certified True Copy of its decision on Kanu’s case.

The apex court had on December 15, 2023, set aside a judgment by the lower court that dismissed the terrorism charges against the IPOB leader.

The apex court held that the appellate court was wrong to have acquitted Kanu because his rights were violated by the Federal Government.

The Supreme Court, although berated the action of the FG, however, said the law must take its course.

About 37 days after the judgment, neither the legal team nor Kanu had received the CTC of the judgment.

In a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the head of the Kanu family, Kanunta Kanu, noted that the non-release of the CTC by the Supreme Court was jeopardising further legal moves.

The statement partly read, “The family is smelling a rat in the whole delay. The unlawful withholding of the CTC in the case of the IPOB leader shows Nigeria cannot obey her treaty obligations.

“Our discreet investigations revealed that the justices of the apex court who sat on the matter, were yet to append their signatures on the judgment, more than four weeks after it was delivered.

“We wonder why the justices of the Supreme Court who sat on our son’s matter would allow the normal 14 days to elapse without signing the judgment.

“Unlawfully withholding the CTC in the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has confirmed that Nigeria will not obey her treaty obligations.

“We urge the Supreme Court to release the CTC of Kanu’s case to enable us to shop for other options.”

The spokesperson for the apex court, Festus Akande could not be reached as of the time of this report.

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was subsequently granted bail in April 2017 and fled the country after an invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the Nigerian military in September 2017.

Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021.

He was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on four counts of treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, illegal importation of radio equipment, and defamation of former President Buhari.

The charges were later withdrawn by the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who replaced them with fresh 14 charges bordering on terrorism and membership of a proscribed group, among others.

The court, however, reduced the charges to seven.

Kanu and his team of lawyers approached the court of appeal, the court struck out the terrorism charges filed against Kanu and ordered his release from the DSS facility.