Ejiofor said the filing of the said charges against Kanu was clearly ill-informed because the Federal Government was probably at that point in time unaware of the details and implication of the appellate court’s judgment.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The legal team of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has called on the public not to panic over the Federal Government’s seven-count amended charges brought against Kanu.
It was reported that the government filed a seven-count amended charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja and that the parties will meet in court on Monday, November 14.
But IPOB’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, in a statement on Friday said the amended charges carry the same charge No. FHC/ABJ/ER/383/2015, as the one already struck out by the Court of Appeal, Abuja on October 13.
Ejiofor noted that the government’s move is dead on arrival.
The statement said, “The attention of the Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s formidable legal team ably led by the legal Iroko of our time – Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN – has been drawn to the much publicized (but rumored) new 7 count amended charge allegedly filed against our Indefatigable Client- Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu – by the Federal Government. From all indications, the new alleged charge has the same Charge No. FHC/ABJ/ER/383/2015, as the one already pronounced upon and struck out by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division. The said intermediate court completely discharged Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; and further prohibited his being tried or prosecuted in any court of law in Nigeria.
“The said judgment of the Court of Appeal is extant and still subsists till date; and has not been set aside by any superior court. Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’ s formidable team ably by the oracle of the Law – Chief Ozekhome SAN – has already promptly appealed to the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal’s ruling staying execution of its own judgment which had set Kanu free. The Appeal in respect thereto has been duly entered in Appeal No. SC/CR/1394/2022, at the Supreme Court, and is now awaiting a date for hearing.
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“It is also worthy to note that this judgment of the Court of Appeal still stands till date as same has not been set aside by the Supreme Court. It is imperative to state therefore that on the strength of this judgment, no CHARGE of whatever nature, and under any guise, can ever presented or stand against Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before any court of law in Nigeria.
“Our inquiry this (Friday) evening upon reading about the phantom charge in the social media, revealed to us that the rumored charge was surreptitiously but clandestinely filed by the Federal Government hours after the judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered on the 13th Day of October, 2022. This was even before it had received a certified true copy of the said judgment of the Court of Appeal.”
Ejiofor said the filing of the said charges against Kanu was clearly ill-informed because the Federal Government was probably at that point in time unaware of the details and implication of the appellate court’s judgment.
He added, “It is pertinent to note also that the Federal Government did not take any step to either serve the charge on our Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu – or on our erudite lead Counsel – Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN – after it was filed; even till this moment.”
Ejiofor assured that Kanu’s legal team led by Ozekhome would be in court on Monday “to tackle any underhand tactics or results the Federal Government may have planned to achieve by sleight of hand, with a charge which has been pronounced dead.”