A Division of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja Thursday discharged and acquitted Nnamdi Kanu of alleged treason and terrorism charges leveled against him by the federal government.
Kanu, the self-acclaimed leader of the now proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is currently standing trial for 15-count charges of treasonable felony and terrorism he allegedly committed.
While delivering their verdict, the three-man panel of Judges also declared as illegal the unlawful abduction and extradition of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria.
Consequently, the panel quashed the entire terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government.
The embattled IPOB leader was re-arraigned on an amended 15-count charge bordering on treasonable felony preferred against him after he was extradited into the country from Kenya last year.
Later, eight of the 15 charges were struck out by Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court but was asked to respond to the remaining seven count charges bordering on terrorism.
Dissatisfied by the lower court order, Kanu approached the Appeal Court to quash the charges.
The separatist group’s leader’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had led a team of other lawyers at the appellate court on September 5, 2022 to file the suit.
In an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CR/625/2022, Kanu applied to be discharged and acquitted.
In a lead judgment on Thursday, Justice Oludotun Adebola held that the federal government breached all local and international laws in the forceful rendition of Kanu to Nigeria, saying the act has rendered incompetent and unlawful the terrorism charges against him.
“The abduction and extraordinary rendition to Nigeria is in flagrant violation of the OAU convention and protocol on extradition.
“Kanu’s extradition from Kenya to Nigeria to stand trial was illegal and therefore, his trial for terrorism cannot stand,” the panel held further.
Kanu was first arraigned on December 23, 2015, and was later granted bail on April 25, 2017.