The leadership of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra—IPOB, has accused the Supreme Court of Nigeria of truncating the course of justice against Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the group.
It said the apex Court is using the instrumentality of adjournment against the Afara-Ukwu born agitator.
According to the spokesman of the separatist movement, Mr Emma Powerful, the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the hearing of Kanu’s appeal to 14 of September which coincided with annual vacation of the court has left the group dissatisfied.
Powerful declared that the Supreme Court’s decision was the worst form of travesty of justice and violent destruction of the rule of law.
He said, “We the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great and indefatigable liberator Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu KANU condemn the continuous adjournment of our Leader’s case by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in their efforts for our Leader to remain in the DSS solitary confinement in Abuja.
“The afterthought and flimsy reason being that the 14th of September 2023, earlier scheduled for the hearing of the case, has caught up with the Supreme Court’s Annual vacation. To say the least, this is the worst form of travesty of justice and violent destruction of the rule of law.
“If we may ask, was it not in an open Court that the Justices of the Supreme Court that sat on the Appeal on the 11th day of May 2023, adjourned the matter to the 14th day of September 2023?
“It is also our understanding that the 14th day of September 2023 adjournment was not granted as a matter of course; the adjournment date was carefully considered against the background of the Federal Government’s deliberate ploy to thwart the proceedings of that day by applying for time to file their papers even when they were clearly out of time, and the Appeal was consequently, adjourned to the 14th day of September 2023, for Definite Hearing.
“If the present intention of the Apex Court is not a rape of democracy and clear subversion of the course of justice, how could they have adjourned to the 14th day of September 2023, without being guided by their diary, which contains the entire schedule of activities and holidays of the Supreme Court for the entire year?
“The cancellation of this date on the frivolous ground that the scheduled date is caught up with the Apex Court annual vacation is against the Supreme Court’s own rules governing criminal trials that are subject to an accelerated hearing.
“It is to be observed that the unfolding events go to demonstrate that the Supreme Court of Nigeria is not abiding by their own rules by constantly adjourning the case of our Leader.”
IPOB urged the international community to prevail on the Supreme Court to hear Kanu’s appeal “so that this case will be promptly determined.”
The group wondered how the Nigerian government would justify the failure to release Kanu despite the Appeal Court discharging and acquitting him.
“If the Federal Government of Nigeria is no longer interested in prosecuting their Appeal, our Leader should be immediately released in line with the Order of the Penultimate Court made on the 13th day of October 2022,” he said.