Nnamdi Kanu discharged : ‘Appeal court no acquit Nnamdi Kanu, dem only discharge am’ – Malami react to ruling on Ipob leader

Di Nigeria goment don react to di ruling of di court of Appeal wey discharge Leader of di Indigenous people of Biafra, of all di charges wey dem sama am.

Di three man panel wey Justice Jummai Hanatu lead bin rule say FG no follow normal process bring Kanu enta Nigeria wen dem bin arrest am.

Di panel tok say Kanu no get case to ansa as di Federal High Court no get jurisdiction to try am in di first place.

Nigeria goment bin sama di proscribed Ipob leader 15 count charge wey border on terrorism, treason, secession and dat im be member of IPOB group wey goment don outlaw.

But for May 2022, Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court remove some of di charges from 15 to seven.

Di Attorney General of di Federation and Nigeria Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami say di verdict no mean say di court of appeal acquit am.

“We receive di news of di decision of di Court of Appeal concerning di trial of Nnamdi Kanu. For di avoidance of doubt and by di verdict of di Court, dem only discharge Kanu and dem no acquit am.”

• Appeal court discharge charges against Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu by FG

Malami say di federal goment go use all legal options wey e get and dem go make di kontri pipo know.

“Consequently, di appropriate legal options before di authorities go dey exploited and communicated accordingly to di public.”

E add join say di court judgment na ontop only one mata wey border on rendition.

“Di decision wey dey handed down by di court of appeal na ontop single issues wey borders on rendition.

“Make e dey clear to di general public say other issues wey predate rendition on di basis of which Kanu bin jump bail still dey valid for judicial determination.

Di Federal Goment go consider all available options open to us on di judgment on rendition while pursuing determination of pre-rendition issues.”

‘Make dem allow Kanu go home’ – Ozekhome

Mike Ozekhome, SAN, wey be di lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday argue say dem gatz release am immediately after appeal court don discharge am.

When e dey speak in Speaking on Channels Television Oga Ozekhome say make dem release Kanu for peace to reign in di kontri.

“Wetin e (di ruling) mean be say dem discharge Nnamdi Kanu was discharged today (Thursday),” Oga Ozekhome tok. “Dat mean say e be free man.

“And make dem allow am go home tomorrow by di time we get certified true copy of di judgment, we go serve am to di Office of di Attorney-General and di DSS to allow Nnamdi Kanu go. Let my pipo go.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International say di Nigeria m authorities gats abide by di ruling wey dey in compliance wit im right obligation.

Inside one tweet on Twitter, di rights group say dem welcome di court of appeal judgement.

Amnesty International welcomes the Court of Appeal ruling in Abuja which discharged leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu of the charges against him. The Nigerian authorities must abide by the ruling, in compliance with its human rights obligations. #NnamdiKanu

— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) October 13, 2022

Weti be di court of appeal ruling?

Di three man panel wey Justice Jummai Hanatu lead chook eye for di case say Kanu no get case to ansa again as di Federal High Court no get jurisdiction to try am in di first place.

Court rule say Kanu arrest and forceful transfer to Nigeria dey illegal becos dem no follow extradition process. Dem say dem bring am into Nigeria illegally.

Court further tok say federal goment fail to tok di location wia dem arrest Kanu despite di big allegations dem sama for im head. Court add say as dem keep quiet, mean say dem agree wit wetin Kanu tok say dem kidnap am and bring am forcefully back to Nigeria.

Court further hold say e dey against law to detain and try Kanu for any court since dem bring am back illegally.

Justice Jummai for her judgement tok say dem no go make di mistake wey di lower court make, “even though dem get warrant of arrest, even though goment tell dem to arrest am, as far as no be inside di shores of Nigeria wia e commit di alleged offence, di arrest and forceful return to Nigeria dey illegal”

She explain say to even cari am go court immediately no dey proper sake of say di appellant get right to notification so dat im go get time prepare imsef on how to defend imsef for court.

Di lower court also make mistake as dem no address all di issues and answer all di questions raised by di appellant.” Di judge rule.

Wetin di ruling mean?

Abuja based Human Rights Lawyer Samuel Ihensekhien try to breakdown di ruling for kontri pipo to understand.

Barrister Samuel tell BBC Pidgin say im dey salute di courage wey di Appeal Court get to give dis judgment, and wit wetin di Appeal Court tok, Nnamdi Kanu dey free to go im house.

E explain say wen pesin or pipo no take due process to follow law or comply wit di existing law di consequence be say e go render di whole proceedings illegal.

“Di capture of Nnamdi Kanu back to Nigeria dey against di Nigeria extradition Act, e dey against di African Charter of pipo and Human Rights, e also dey against evri law wey dey govern international law.

“Before you extradite anybodi or a citizen from any African Kontri you must face follow di extradition laws of di kontri and follow di due process of di court, na until di court give you permission you fit return di pesin to face any trial for im kontri.”

“But for dis case, we just hear say Nnamdi Kanu surprisingly appear for Nigeria like angel, no procedure, no documentation, no official record.

E add say wetin court do be say, dem uphold di extra-ordinary rendition, wia dem dey arrest citizen from one kontri, cari dem go anoda kontri without due process.

Oga Samuel tok say Nigeria goment no get any choice now oda dan to let Nnamdi Kanu go.

“As e be so, Nnamdi Kanu na freeman , court don pronounce free, so im dey free, federal goment no get any choice oda dan to comply with di court of appeal ruling.” E tok.

Who be Nnamdi Kanu?

Nnamdi Kanu na Nigerian separatist leader and founder of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), one group wey want a breakaway state for south-east Nigeria. E found IPOB for 2014.

Kanu grow up for south-east and attend di University of Nsukka.

E move to di UK before graduating.

Soon afta e set up Ipob, e speak to gatherings of di large Igbo diaspora, calling for Biafran independence.

For some some of im comments, e ask Biafrans to take up arms against di Nigerian state.

“We need guns and we need bullets,” e bin tok for one of such address.

And dat na wetin bring am to di attention of Nigeria security services.

Kanu dey seen by many as a dangerous propagandist, but e dey also consider as a lightning-rod for di way many Igbos still feel unhappy about Nigeria, years afta a three-year civil war between 1967 and 1970.

Authorities arrest Nnamdi Kanu for 2015 wen e return to Nigeria but dis only boost im profile.

Di man wey many Nigerians bin dismiss as troublemaker, even within im ethnic group, become di most talked about Igbo pesin.

Kanu form di Biafran Security Services (BSS), one mock militia wey dey dress in black and do parades for di eastern city of Abia, im home state.

As di Nigeria goment see say im group dey overdo too much, court come declare Ipob as terrorists group and ban dia activities.

For September 2017 di Nigerian army carry out one raid for Kanu house but e escape.

Many bin tink say dat na di end, but Kanu reappear for Europe for 2018 and continue di radio broadcasts wey e bin don dey do before

For late 2020, e resurrect di BSS and rechristen am di Eastern Security Network (ESN).