The Federal Government has said the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was only discharged and not acquitted by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.

The Federal Government said it would consider appropriate legal options over the judgement, noting that the move will be exploited and communicated to the public.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, made this known via a statement issued on Thursday night by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Ministry of Justice, Dr Umar Gwandu.

The Star recalls that the Court of Appeal, on Thursday, struck out the seven-count charges preferred against the IPOB leader by the Federal Government.

Justice Jummai Hanatu, who led a three-member panel of justices, held that the trial court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case following Kanu’s rendition from Kenya.

Reacting to the judgement, the Federal Government said: “The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has received the news of the decision of the Court of Appeal concerning the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. For the avoidance of doubt and by the verdict of the Court, Kanu was only discharged and not acquitted.

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“Consequently, the appropriate legal options before the authorities will be exploited and communicated accordingly to the public.

“The decision handed down by the court of appeal was on a single issues that borders on rendition.

“Let it be made clear to the general public that other issues that predates rendition on the basis of which Kanu jumped bail remain valid issues for judicial determination.

“The Federal Government will consider all available options open to us on the judgment on rendition while pursuing determination of pre-rendition issues,” the statement read.

Nnamdi Kanu has been facing trial before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja over charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.

The IPOB leader, who was granted bail in April 2017, had fled Nigeria after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September 2017.

However, the Attorney-General of the Federation, on June 29, 2021, announced that Nnamdi Kanu had been rearrested and extradited to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

Malami added that the IPOB leader was “intercepted” days earlier but did not disclose which country and how the operation was carried out.

The Star