The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Monday reserved judgment in an application by the Federal Government seeking a stay of execution of its judgment that ordered the release of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, free.
In today’s proceeding, the Federal Government counsel, Mr David Kaswe, while arguing the the motion for stay of execution of the October 13 delivered in favour of Kanu informed the Appellate Court that Kanu had earlier demonstrated to be flight risk when he jumped out of the country when granted bail in the terrorism charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kaswe 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.
He therefore prayed the court to stay the execution of the judgment to enable Kanu remain in custody pending when Supreme Court would finally determine the pending appeal.
However, lead counsel to Kanu, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN dismissed the claim that Kanu jumped 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.
The senior lawyer 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.
He maintained that the further detention of Kanu beyond October 13, 2022, was illegal.
Justice Haruna Tsanami, who presided over the hearing of the application, announced that a date for delivery of judgment would be communicated to the parties when ready.
