IPOB Leader: Appeal Court reserves judgment on government’s stay of execution application

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria, has on Monday reserved judgment in an appeal by the Nigerian Government seeking a stay of execution of the Court’s judgment that ordered the discharge of the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

 

Justice Haruna Tsanami, who presided over the hearing of the application announced that a date for the judgment would be communicated to the parties in due course.

 

During the hearing, counsel to the Nigerian Government, Mr David Kaswe, told the Court of Appeal that the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, is a huge threat to national security and must be kept in detention to have peace in the south eastern region and Nigeria as a whole.

 

He informed the court, that Kanu is a flight risk and would escape out of the country if the judgment, which ordered his release was not stayed.

 

In a motion for stay of execution of the October 13 delivered in favour of Kanu, the Nigerian Government insisted that Kanu would throw the nation’s security into jeopardy and prejudice the public and private economic activities.

 

Mr. Kaswe, while arguing the motion informed the Appellate Court that Kanu had earlier demonstrated to be flight risk when he jumped bail and left the country after he was granted bail in the terrorism charges leveled against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

 

He insisted that it is in the interest of justice and the need to have relative peace in the South East and the whole Nigeria that Kanu be made to remain in detention pending the resolution of an appeal already filed at the Supreme Court.

 

“My Lords, our concerns, the concern of the Federal Government is the threat the release of Kanu poses to the security of this country and its political, social and economic activities. We will not be able to lay hands upon him if he is allowed out of detention and finds his way out of the country”.

 

He therefore prayed the court to grant his application and stay the execution of the Court judgment to enable Kanu remain in custody pending when Supreme Court would finally determine the pending appeal.

 

Meanwhile, counsel to Kanu, Mr. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, dismissed the claim that Kanu would jump bail in his trial at the Federal High Court.

Ozekhome claimed that the Military unjustly invaded Kanu’s ancestral home and that it took God’s grace for his client to escape death.

 

He informed the court that the Federal Government was in contempt of court by not obeying the October 13 judgment and as such, has no moral and legal rights to make the request from the same court.

 

Contrary to the Federal Government claim, Ozekhome said that it is only the release of his client that will ensure peace and tranquility not only in the South East but the entire country.

 

“My Lord, the action of the Federal Government in respect of Nnamdi Kanu is an insult, a slap in the face to this court. It is also an invitation to anarchy and I humbly urge this Court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit,” he argued.

 

After taking arguments from both parties, Justice Haruna Tsanami announced that judgment has been reserved to be communicated to lawyers as soon as it is ready.