The Supreme Court will deliver judgment on the petition filed by the Federal Government against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, today, Friday.
Kanu has been detained since June 2021, when he was rearrested in Kenya and transferred to Nigeria under extraordinary rendition.
With his return, the Nigerian government charged him with treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, illegal importation of radio equipment, and defamation of former President Muhammadu Buhari before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami later withdrew the charges, replacing them with a new 14-count charge bordering on terrorism and membership in a proscribed group.
The charges were reduced to seven counts, which the Appeal Court later overturned.
The Nigerian government filed an appeal with the Supreme Court after being dissatisfied with the Appeal Court’s decision.
Deji Adeyanju, an Abuja-based socio-political activist, said the Supreme Court should grant Kanu bail in light of the much-anticipated decision.
He said, “My hope is that the Supreme Court will deliver a judgment that is acceptable to everyone, but no matter what the Supreme Court delivers, it will not be acceptable to some.
“In the case of Ojukwu vs. the Lagos State government, once the right-thinking members of the public go home believing that the judiciary is biased, then it defeats the purpose for which the judiciary was set up. Our appeal to our judges is that they should deliver a judgment that will give citizens confidence in the judiciary.
“Politicians must not be bad losers; they must learn to accept defeat when they lose elections.
“Kanu should be admitted to bail; bail is not an escape from justice. It’s an opportunity for the defendant to amply defend himself. In my view, this idea of turning people into political prisoners is unacceptable.”
