- Ignore impersonators who threaten, demand money for support, IPOB warns public
The Supreme Court has fixed December 15 to deliver its judgment on the appeal seeking to compel the Federal Government to release the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
The apex court, yesterday, okayed the matter for judgment after counsel for both the Federal Government and Kanu adopted their final briefs of argument.
The Federal Government legal team was led by the Acting Director of Civil Appeals, at the Federal Ministry of Justice, T. A. Gazzali, while Kanu’s legal team was led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi.
Even though Agabi led Kanu’s team of lawyers, it was Prof. Mike Ozehkome who presented his appeal to the apex court.
Ozehkome prayed the court not to only order the immediate release of his client from detention, but to also award punitive costs against the Federal Government.
He said: “We urge my lords to uphold our cross-appeal to do substantial justice to this matter and to the Respondent who has been in detention since June 29, 2021, even after the lower court ordered his release, and that he should never be prosecuted again on the same counts.
“They are still holding him unconstitutionally. We pray my lords to deliver justice and use this case, just like in Ojukwu Vs State, to demonstrate that no man or government should be above the law.”
In his submission, the Federal Government’s lawyer urged the apex court to uphold the amended brief of argument he filed on May 3, 2023.
He prayed the court to allow the Federal Government to appeal, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which ordered Kanu’s release, and order the resumption of his trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges.
Recall that in a unanimous decision by the three-member panel, the appellate court had quashed a 15-count terrorism charge that the Federal Government entered against the detained IPOB leader before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
MEANWHILE, IPOB has raised the alarm over who they termed, ‘agents of darkness’ threatening people and demanding money to support the group in realising its dream of an independent nation.
The group said that the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, its members, and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives have never threatened people for money, adding that those involved in such evil are autopilot members led by criminal Simon Ekpa.
Powerful, in a statement, yesterday, urged the public to ignore such impersonators and report such phone numbers to the appropriate authorities.
The Guardian
