… Faults FG over his abduction, extraordinary rendition… I am tending more towards appeal court judgment – Monday Ubani
Our Reporter, Abuja; Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
In what looks yet like another technical decision, the Supreme Court, Friday refused to free the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Instead, the apex court, nullified the judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered to release the IPOB leader.
The Court, however, faulted Kanu’s abduction and extraordinary rendition from Kenya, saying it was a breach of international protocols.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, the Supreme Court acknowledged that FG acted “irresponsibly” when it forcefully brought Kanu back to the country from Kenya, against all known laws.
The action according to the apex court was a bad image both locally and internationally for Nigeria.
The Supreme Court also scolded the trial court for revoking Kanu’s bail after he escaped to save his life following the invasion of his home by security agents.
That not withstanding, the apex court held that, “that was not enough to divest the trial court of its jurisdiction to continue with the case.”
According to the apex court, there is no legislation in the country that stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to continue with Kanu’s matter.
In the judgement that was prepared by Justice Garba Mohammed but read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court held that the remedy open for Kanu was for him to institute a civil action against the government.
But reacting to the judgment, a senior Lawyer and former Second Vice-President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Monday Ubani, described the judgment as unfortunate after raising the hope of many Nigerians on the release of Kanu with its earlier chastisement of the Federal Government.
Ubani said this Friday on Channels Television while reacting to the Supreme Court judgment not to free Nnamdi Kanu.
While insisting that the Supreme Court being the final court in the land was within its rights to make the judgment, Ubani said he was “tending more towards the judgment of the appeal court that freed Nnamdi Kanu.”
He, however, called for speedy trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu at the lower court in the light of the Supreme Court judgment to dispose of the case quickly even as he believes that a political solution would be the appropriate step to take on the matter so as to return peace to the South-East region.
