The United Kingdom Court of Appeal has fixed June 22, 2023 to hear the appeal of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's extraordinary rendition.
Special Counsel to Kanu, Mr Aloy Ejimakor, who disclosed this in post on Twitter handle on Wednesday afternoon, commended the Kanu's family and his colleagues in the Bindmans LLP that are handling the matter.
According to Ejimakor, in an initial order, the Court ruled that “the grounds of appeal raise important issues.”
He wrote in his tweet: "Breaking: UK Court of Appeal to hear Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s extraordinary rendition appeal. In an initial order, the Court ruled that “the grounds of appeal raise important issues.”
"The appeal will be heard on 22nd June, 2023. Kudos to Kanu family & my colleagues, the Bindmans."
SaharaReporters reports that Kanu remained in solitary confinement at the detention facility of the Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was renditioned from Kenyan in June 2021.
Although, the Nigerian government has not officially disclosed where it's security agencies abducted Kanu.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Court of Appeal, Abuja division had on October 13, 2022 discharged Kanu, of the 15-count terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision, faulted the process through which Kanu was brought before the Federal High Court to answer to a 15-count terrorism charges.
Reacting to the judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, had said the appeal court only discharged and not acquitted Kanu.
The appeal court ruled that the arrest, abduction and subsequent arraignment of Kanu before a Federal High Court violated international convention on terrorism and, thus, robbed any court of law in Nigeria necessary jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Justice Adedotun Adefope-Okijie, who read the judgement of the three-man panel, noted that there was nowhere the federal government showed it complied with the procedures for the extradition of the IPOB leader from Kenya.
The appellate court listed the conditions, according to the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU), which a state must meet to include a formal application for extradition to the host country, permission from court, and statement of the alleged offences in connection with the extradition request amongst others. The court explained that the requirements were aimed at ensuring that people were only extradited after full conviction of alleged committal of an offence and not for any other purpose.
SaharaReporters had also reported that United Nations working group on arbitrary detention and human rights violations in July 2022 issued a communication to Nigeria government demanding release of Nnamdi Kanu within six months of communication and to pay him adequate reparations. The deadline of the communication had since elapsed in December 31, 2022 and Kanu remained in solitary confinement in the DSS cell.
Several well-meaning Nigerians including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation has severally appealed to the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari to release Nkanu and allow a dialogue to prevail.