On Monday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja declined to grant the Federal Government’s plea for an adjournment in a case trying to prevent the execution of the ruling that overturned the terrorism charges against Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Biafra nation movement.
The Federal Government was instead given until today at noon to move its application or lose it, according to the court.
At today’s sessions, the Federal Government’s attorney, Mr. David Kaswe, claimed that Kanu’s attorney, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, had since last Friday supplied him with a counter affidavit.
Kaswe, however, asserted that he received a list of one extra authority this morning and that he needed time to respond.
However, Ozekhome objected to the motion on the grounds that only one additional authority had been served and that the Federal Government shouldn’t be allowed to request an adjournment based on the presence of just one authority.
Since October 13, when the Court of Appeal ordered Kanu’s release, Ozekhome alleged, the Federal Government has disobeyed the ruling.
He urged the court to reject the motion for any adjournment and emphasised to the court that his client’s right to personal freedom was being violated.
Presiding Justice Haruna Tsanami concurred in a succinct ruling that the appeal involves fundamental human rights and merits urgency.
After that, Justice Tsanami ordered the Federal Government until noon to submit its request for a stay of the judgment’s implementation and to reply to the new authority given by Kanu’s legal team.
