Kanu is a flight risk, threat to national security, FG tells court

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3 years ago

Kanu

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division was on Monday, told that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is a flight risk and a threat to national security.

The Federal Government, through its counsel, David Kaswe, disclosed this, while adopting an application seeking the stay of execution of the October 13, 2022 judgement of the Court of Appeal which discharged the IPOB leader of the seven-count treasonable felony charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.

In the application, filed on October 18, the Federal Government is praying the court to make an order staying the execution of the said judgement pending the hearing and determination of its appeal challenging the judgement at the Supreme court.

In the appeal, hinged on six grounds, the Federal Government said, Kanu, apart from being a flight risk, his release will be a threat to security in the South East and the nation in general.

According to Kaswe, “The application was brought in the interest of justice and to preserve the security in the South East and the country. We have demonstrated that the respondent (Kanu) is a flight risk.

“If the judgement is not stayed until our appeal is heard and determined by the Supreme Court, it will be difficult for us to lay our hands on the respondent (Kanu) to bring him back to court to face the charges against him.

“The respondent has shown that he has the capacity to jump bail and from lawful custody,” he said and added that if Kanu is released from custody, it may impact negatively the already declining security situation in the South East.

He said, discharging, obeying and executing the judgement of the court will negatively affect the security situation in the South East and urged the court to allow the appeal and grant the sole prayer in the application in the interest of justice and unity of the country.

Opposing the application, lead counsel to the IPOB leader, Mike Ozekhome said the purpose of the FG’s application was to overrule the judgement of the court and alleged that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has boasted severally that the government was not going to obey the judgement of the court.

Contrary to FG’s claim, Ozekhome said, it is Kanu’s release that will bring peace and tranquillity to the South East and the country and added that the application by the Federal Government was to stay the execution of the liberty of the IPOB leader, which he called on the court to refuse.

He told the court that, there was no valid appeal by the Federal Government at the Supreme Court and that, the appellate court cannot stay execution when there is no valid appeal.

Ozekhome urged the three-member panel of Justices of the appellant court, headed by Justice Haruna Tsanami to dismiss the application for constituting an abuse and a slap on the face of the court.

After hearing the submissions of parties in the appeal, the court reserved a ruling in the matter on a date that will be communicated to the parties.

Earlier, Ozekhome informed the court that Kanu is terminally ill and needs to undergo an operation and requested that the appellant should release Kanu as ordered by the court in the judgement delivered on October 13.

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