The Federal Government of Nigeria has on Friday been exonerated on the allegation that leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was forcefully abducted abroad and brought to stand his trial in Nigeria.
A ruling held at the Federal High Court in Abuja by Justice Binta Nyako stated that rendition for the purpose of criminal investigation was allowed.
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Justice Nyako said considering Kanu was on bench warrant, the law allowed that anywhere he was sighted, he can be arrested and brought to face trial.
“Rendition for the purpose of criminal investigation is allowed. In the instant case, there is bench warrant on the defendant (Kanu). Suffice to say, he is a fugitive before the court,” she said.
The judge, who dismissed Kanu’s move to challenge the terrorism charge, upheld seven counts in the fresh charges filed by the federal government against the IPOB leader.
According to Nyako, the federal government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), had been able to established some allegations against Kanu in counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 15.
“The court shall proceed to try the defendant (Kanu) on those counts, ” she ruled.
After the review of the 15 counts, she held that about eight of the counts appeared to be similar.
She, therefore, ordered that counts 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 13 and 14 to be struck out.
Nyako also ruled that the order proscribing IPOB as a terror group still subsisted until it was vacated since the issue was still on appeal.
She dismissed the argument by Mike Ozekhome, counsel for Kanu, that whether IPOB was a terrorist organisation was still a subject of appeal.
