Following a court ruling in favour leader of a Nigerian separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu against the federal government of Nigeria, the government has reacted to the ruling.
A three-man panel upheld the Court of Appeal sitting in the country’s capital, Abuja, discharged the embattled Kanu on Thursday.
The court held that the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to try Mr. Kanu on the grounds of his rendition to Nigeria which violates the protocol on extradition and the OAU convention.
The office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), in a statement issued by Dr. Umar Gwandu, special assistant on media and public relations to the minister of Justice said the decision handed down by the court of appeal was on a single issue that borders on rendition, and other issues remained valid for judicial determination.
Attorney-general Abubakar Malami through the statement noted that Mr. Kanu was only discharged but not acquitted.
The statement reads “The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has received the news of the decision of the Court of Appeal concerning the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. For the avoidance of doubt and by the verdict of the Court, Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted.
“Consequently, the appropriate legal options before the authorities will be exploited and communicated accordingly to the public.
“The decision handed down by the court of appeal was on a single issue that borders on rendition.
“Let it be made clear to the general public that other issues that predate rendition on the basis of which Kanu jumped bail remain valid issues for judicial determination.
“The federal government will consider all available options open to us on the judgment on rendition while pursuing determination of pre-rendition issues.”
Kanu was first arraigned on December 23, 2015, and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017. He was later arrested in Kenya and extradited for trial by the Federal government of Nigeria in June 2021.
The Nigerian state under the current administration has a history of disobeying court orders with reference to rulings against it like in the trial of the former National Security Adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan. A refusal to release a religious leader, El zakzaky according to court order is also a case in point.
Going by Nigeria’s attorney general’s position, Will Nnamdi Kanu join the train of “the unreleased”? Time will tell.