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The legal team representing the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday have an insight on how he received the news of his freedom by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
They also served copies of the judgement of the Court of Appeal which freed him to the Department of State Services and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
According to them, with the handover of the court order 96 hours after the judgment, the Federal Government had no other option than to release him from the custody of the DSS.
The senior counsel to Kanu and Lead counsel to IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said this in a statement on the outcome of their visit to Kanu.
The PUNCH reported that the Court of Appeal (Abuja Division) had on Thursday last week, freed Kanu of the terrorism and treasonable felony charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.
The three-member panel of Justices of the Appellate Court, had in the judgement, set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which quashed 8 out of 15 counts charge preferred against Kanu.
The Appellate Court in the unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie declared as illegal and unlawful, the abduction of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria and quashed the entire seven charges retained by the trial court against him on the ground that the Federal Government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria, thereby making the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.
Ejiofor in the statement believed that the government had ran out of options after the victory.
He said, “We have just left the DSS Headquarters, Abuja, after our fruitful meeting/engagement with our ever resolute, indefatigable, erudite, and uncompromising Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kamanu Ozuzu Kanu.
“Onyendu was exceedingly overjoyed with the news of the erudite judgement of the Court of Appeal, a copy of which was also made available to Onyendu. Onyendu could not hold his joy and immense gratitude to our legal team, ably led by the man of the letters – Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
“He is profoundly grateful to Umuchineke for your resoluteness and prayers, which impacted so positively in this victory.
As you are all aware, upon the delivery of this judgement on October 13 2022, the detention of Onyendu in the facility of the DSS, which was strongly condemned and equally prohibited by the judgement of the Court of Appeal under reference, became gravely illegal and unconstitutional as there is nothing whatsoever, legalising the further detention of Onyendu in the detention facility of the DSS.
“Unfortunately, the breach of Onyendu’s fundamental rights by the autocratic government of Nigeria has continued unabated till now. But, be assured, Umuchineke, and the entire world that we are aggressively pursuing total compliance with this court order within every permissible legal precinct and shall keep everyone updated.
“Onyendu’s legal team eminently led by a legal icon, a foremost and an accomplished leading Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome is not relenting.
The court order must be obeyed whether they like it or not. No criminal charge of any form can be filed against Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu again, and no indictment of any nature can be taken up against him. We have won them hands-down.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has totally run out of options, and the only valid option available to them now is to obey the order made by a very superior court of record and immediately free Onyendu. The time is now, and it is irreversible.
“Today, being October 17 2022, the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on October 13 2022, which unconditionally freed Onyendu, was served to the Attorney General of the Federation – Abubakar Malami SAN, and the Director General of the DSS Headquarters, Abuja.
“The DSS is expected to immediately enforce the positive orders of the court and immediately release Onyendu without further ado and unconditionally.
“We shall be exploring far reaching legal measures to command immediate compliance with this erudite court judgement freeing Onyendu, though the details of our strategic legal engagements shall remain private. Thank you all Ezigbo Umuchineke and remain hugely blessed. We have won and won them forever. They can never recover from it again. We move.”
