Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet
USAfrica: Nigeria’s Court grants IPOB’s Kanu appeal to be discharged, acquitted
Nigeria’s Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday October 13, 2022 upheld an appeal made by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Court stated that the Buhari-led Nigerian government failed to refute the case and claim by Kanu’s lawyers that he was in Kenya (an Africn counry) where he was allegedly, “abducted” and brought back to Nigeria without any extradition proceeding.
The court added the Nigeria government was “ominously silent on the issue…. In law, that is a costly failure and such failure is an admittance by the Respondent.” The Court argued and ruled that “Where a party fails to controvert a deposition by an opponent, the issue not contested is deemed conceded”. The Court’s position is that it is the burden of the Nigerian government to prove the legality of the Appellant’s arrest and return from Kenya.
One of his lawyers Ifeanyi Ejiofor, stated that Kanu’s appeal of April 29, 2022 (CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022), applied for him to be discharged and acquitted.
