The Supreme Court will today deliver its verdict on the fate of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The highly anticipated judgment will determine whether Kanu will finally walk free or remain in custody.
The apex court fixed the date in October after lawyers from both sides presented their final arguments. Chief Mike Ozehkome, Kanu’s attorney, argued for his client’s immediate release and sought “heavy and punitive costs” against the government. Meanwhile, Tijani Gazzali, representing the government, urged the court to uphold the amended brief he filed earlier this year. He requested the dismissal of the Court of Appeal’s judgment ordering Kanu’s release and the resumption of his trial on terrorism charges.
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In 2015, the former London estate agent and radio host was arrested on charges of treason and terrorism. He later jumped bail and fled the country, reappearing in the UK and Israel. In 2021, he was extradited back to Nigeria in a controversial operation that the Court of Appeal deemed “illegal.” This led to the landmark judgment in October 2022, ordering Kanu’s release. However, the government’s appeal has kept him behind bars.
