The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed May 7, 2023 to hear the appeal filed by Federal Government against the release of Nnamdi Kanu the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB,
The apex court granted the request of the federal government to file new nine additional grounds of appeal challenging the Court of Appeal which set Kanu freed after he was taken into custody from Kenya in November 2021.
A five man panel of justices of the apex court led by Justice John Okoro granted the leave while ruling on the motion brought by Tijani Gadzali SAN the counsel to the federal government. The federal government had sought the leave to fortify it appeal and probably to buy more time .
The apex court also granted leave to the federal government to include these nine new grounds as part of the its amended notice of appeal dated October ,28th 2022.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, informed the court of his motions seeking for bail of his client and another seeking for his transfer to kuje correctional facility to get proper medical attention citing Kanu failing health conditions at the custody of the Department of State Services .
Ozekhome also prayed for an accelerated hearing of the matter but federal government lawyer Gadzali said that he just took over the matter, so he needed time to study it and to file counter affidavit.
The court hinted that hearing of the motions particularly that seeking transfer of Nnamdi Kanu may likely delay hearing of the main appeal and advised Ozekhome to withdraw the pending motions and enable him focus on the main appeal.
The panel subsequently fixed May 11 for hearing on the pending motion and the main appeal
Recall that the Court of Appeal Abuja Division had on October 13, 2022, cleared Nnamdi Kanu of alleged treason and terrorism charges against him and dismissed the remaining six count charges levelled against him by the federal government.
Court of Appeal faulted the processes adopted by the federal government in extraditing him back to Nigeria from Kenya on the grounds that it breach all known International Protocol.
Another panel of the same court however, on the October, 28, 2022, granted federal government prayer for a stay of execution of the court earlier decision pending hearing and determination of the instant appeal at the supreme court.