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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, has declared as illegal and unlawful, the abduction of the Biafra nation agitator, Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria and quashed the terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
The court also discharged and acquitted the embattled leader of the proscribed secessionist group.
Kanu had in his appeal dated April 29, applied to be discharged and acquitted.
Kanu was first arraigned on December 23, 2015, and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017.
The Appellate Court held that the Federal Government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria, thereby making the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.
The Appeal Court, in a judgement delivered on Thursday evening by Justice Oludotun Adebola voided and set aside the charges preferred against Kanu by the Federal Government.
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 judgement on his Facebook page, Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said Kanu won at last.
“Appeal allowed, Oyendu Mazi Nnamdi KANU, discharged and acquitted. We have won!,” he wrote