The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has been told that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is terminally ill and needs to undergo an operation.
Lead counsel to the IPOB leader, Chief Mike Ozekhome told a three-member panel of Justices of the appellate court on Monday, while objecting to a request by David Kaswe, counsel representing the Federal Government for an adjournment in the hearing of FG’s application seeking a stay of execution of the judgment of the court which discharged Kanu from the seven-count charge of treasonable felony preferred against him.
Kaswe told the court that he needs time to respond to the processes served on him last Friday as well as the list of additional authorities served on him earlier this morning by the respondent.
“In view of the service and the extant rules of this court, this application may not be ripe for hearing today,” he told the court.
Objecting to the request for adjournment, Kanu’s counsel, said the processes were served on the appellant on Wednesday last week and not Friday adding that, the counsel to the Federal Government has no reason to ask for an adjournment.
“The case is ripe for hearing”, he said and request that the appellant should release Kanu as ordered by the court in the judgment delivered on October 13.
“They should release him if they want an adjournment. It will not destroy the rest of the matter if Kanu is released,” he said.
Meanwhile, the court had stood down further hearings in the matter till 12 noon to enable FG’s counsel to go through the list of additional authorities filed by the respondent.
….More to come
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