Supreme Court Fixes Date For Hearing Of Kanu Case Challenging Illegal Detention

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed Thursday, October 5, 2023 for hearing on two separate appeals filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu through his Counsels and against his continued detention.

The appeal to hear on Thursday are marked SC/CR/1394/2022, NNAMDI KANU V. FED. REP OF NIGERIA; and SC/CR/1391/2023, FED. REP OF NIG VS NNAMDI KANU,

The lead counsel of the detained Leader of the pro-Biafra group, Mike Ozekhome, confirmed the hearing date to SaharaReporters on Saturday.

Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, leads Ifeanyi Ejiofor and others in the appeal which they had formerly won at the Federal High Court and at the Court of Appeal.

ONIFTV had reported that the Court of Appeal had in October 2022 discharged Kanu of the 15 Counts charge against him. The appellate court subsequently, barred any further arrest, detention and trial of Kanu on the existing charge before his forceful extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria by the agents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 27th of June, 2021.

The Federal Government later appealed against the judgement at the Supreme Court and subsequently got another panel of the Court of Appeal to stay the judgement of the appellate court.

Despite the judgement, Kanu has remained in solitary confinement at the facility of the Department of State Services (DSS), nearly one year after the judgement discharging him.

Confirming the hearing date, Kanu’s lawyer, said: “The following appeal has been slated for hearing at the Supreme Court of Nigeria Abuja, on Thursday the 5th, October, 2023 (SC/CR/1394/2022, NNAMDI KANU V. FED.REP OF NIGERIA V; and SC/CR/1391/2023, FED. REP OF NIG VS NNAMDI KANU.”

Our correspondent had on September 18 reported that Ejiofor recalled that Kanu’s lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had formally requested for the Court’s approval of September 28, 2023 as the new scheduled date for the hearing of the appeal following the cancellation of the earlier scheduled date.

Ejiofor had said   there is a positive indication that in the coming days, a confirmation or otherwise of the proposed new date will be made public upon our Lead Counsel’s feedback.

“Our request is simple – let this appeal be heard with every urgency it deserves so that the fate of Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has been illegally held in the solitary co, nfinement of the SSS will be determined, having been discharged of all the frivolous criminal charge against him since the 13th day of October, 2022.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has continued to detain him in custody in clear violation of this subsisting Judgment, and Orders of the Court of Appeal that directed for his unconditional release, and consequently, prohibited his further trial before any Court in Nigeria or detention in any custody.

“As I have consistently maintained, the wheel of justice may grind slowly, but it will grind exceedingly fine in no distant time.”