The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, of charges allegations of terrorism.
The Court upheld the decision of the high court that declared as unlawful the abduction of Mr Kanu in Kenya.
A three-member panel of the appellate court also quashed the terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
The court held that the federal government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria thereby making the terrorism charge against him incompetent and unlawful.
The court also discharged and acquitted the embattled leader of the proscribed group.
Mr Kanu had in his appeal dated April 29 and marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022 applied to be discharged and acquitted. Kanu was first arraigned on December 23, 2015, and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017.
However, the Court of Appeal on Thursday declared as illegal and unlawful, the abduction Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria and quashed the entire terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
The Appeal Court in a judgment by Justice Oludotun Adebola voided and set aside the charges by the Federal Government against Kanu.
The Appellate Court proceeded to discharge Kanu from the alleged offences.
Justice Adebola held that failure of Nigeria to follow due process by way of Extradition was fatal to the charges against Kanu.
The Appeal Court further held that the failure of the Federal Government to disclose where and when the alleged offences were committed was also fatal to the terrorism charges and made them liable to dismissal.
Reacting to the judgment, Mr Kanu’s lawyer and human rights activist, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, on his Facebook page on Thursday, said Kanu won at last.
“Appeal allowed, Oyendu Mazi Nnamdi KANU, discharged and acquitted. We have won!,” he wrote.
