Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB )Nnamdi Kanu has called on the federal government to release his client immediately in compliance with order of Court of Appeal.
Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment last week’s Thursday quashed all criminal charges preferred against Kanu for lacked of jurisdiction and ordered his immediate release from custody.
Besides, Ejiofor has also called for immediate resignation of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, from his post for ridiculing the country with his extra – ordinary rendition of Kanu and insistence that previous charges are still alive.
The lawyer made the calls at the weekend in a press conference in Abuja while reacting to Malami stance that “other issues that predates rendition on the basis of which Kanu jumped bail remain valid issues for judicial determination.”
He said that Court of Appeal was unequivocal in the judgment that the lower court where Kanu was standing trial or any other courts in the country had no jurisdiction to try him following his extra ordinary rendition.
“What is expected of the Attorney General of Federation in this circumstance is for Nnamdi Kanu to be released immediately from custody, as he is being illegally held”, the lawyer said.
Ejiofor added that he was not contesting the fact that the ÀGF has constitutional right of appeal to the Supreme Court.,but that the government should comply with the order of Court of Appeal and release Kanu because it would amount to a breach of the order if they proceed to Supreme Court while Kanu is in their custody.
The lawyer said that in countries where democracy and rule of law operates and reigns supreme, Abubakar Malami ought to have resigned last week’s Thursday without prompting from anybody for his illegal and reckless roles.
“It Is not in doubt that at point where Nnamdi was abducted it was in pursuance to the advice of the minister that the federal government agents sneaked into Kenya and abducted a citizen without subjecting him to extradition law.”
Ejiofor said it is baffling that the ÀGF Malami who wrote exhaustively on extra – ordinary rendition in a forward to a book titled ” Cases and Materials on extradition in Nigeria” would turned round and mislead the country.
The lawyer said Kanu had already filed a suit at the Federal High Court asking for N50bn as damages for the extra-ordinary rendition,torture and injuries he received in the hand of federal government.