Have Nnamdi Kanu been released?: Experts explain wetin appeal court judgement mean for di Ipob leader

Di ruling of di Court of Appeal for Abuja, wey release leader of di proscribed Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (IPOB), mean say Nigeria goment no get any good reason to hold am again.

Nigeria lawyer Jiti Ogunye, tell BBC Pidgin say di decision of di Abuja Court of Appeal on Thursday 13 October 2022 dey clear say Nigeria goment no get any reason at all to keep Kanu for dia custody again.

Ogunye tok dis one in response to di kontri Attorney General of di Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, reaction to court decision wen im say Kanu dey discharged but not acquitted.

"If di Attorney General of di Federation dey now in a way, dey play Supreme Court over di Court of Appeal by interpreting wetin dem tok, claiming say dis na discharge not acquittal, den I go - wit due respect to am - say I no know wetin im dey try do.

"On di bases of wetin di court don do, di federal goment of Nigeria no get good reason to keep am, and di Attorney General no get any legal stand to cme and and start to interpret... misleadingly - becos im dey mislead di public say, o dis na just discharge and bo be acquittal, dia for meaning say dem go continue to keep am

Di three member panel of justice wey Justice Jummai Hanatu lead, cancel di seven charges wey di Nigeria goment file against Kanu.

Di panel cancel di charges unto say di trial court no get any jurisdiction or authority to handle di case afta dem kidnap Kanu from Kenya carry am come Nigeria.

Hanatu add say di Nigeria goment action dey against di terrorist Act and na crime against Nnamdi Kanu rights.

E dey possible to contest di jurisdiction of a federal court if di charges wey dem file to am dey "incompetent" or useless.

Dat na why di court strike out or cancel all di fifteen charges, come add say make dem release am.

Although Nnamdi Kanu allegedly bin jump bali for April 2017, run come from di kontri, di court argument be say goment no bring am back according to di extradition act and dem no use Interpol wey im work na to arrest runaways and criminal suspects.

But for di statement wey di AGF tok tok pesin, Umar Jiril Gwandu release, say, " for di avoidance of doubt and by verdict of di court, Kanu only dey discharged but not acquitted.

Wetin "discharged but not acquitted mean"

To understand wetin court mean wen e say pesin dey discharged and acquitted, e important to understand how court dey take work in dis instance.

Once pesin dey face trial for court, especially high court, im don turn prisoner of dat court not minding say im dey prison, na court dey give di warrant for detention.

Diafore for law, wen you say pesin dey discharged, wetin di court dey tok be say im no fit hold di pesin any longer, dem don drop di charge.

So, Ogunye say: "If dem don dismiss di charge here, if di criminal process don end here, e no get any foundation again for you to continue to hold am."

If court just say dem don discharge pesin, e mean say dem neva do any trial, but dem just discharge am for ABC reasons.

"But usually, di two terms (discharge and acquitted" dey go togeda becos, once dem discharge pesin, e dey equivalent to acquittal, either acquittal base on say dem no fit find am guilty, or acquittal base on uselessness of di charge."

For Kanu case, di court strike out all di fifteen (15) charges unto say court lack jurisdiction or no get right to try di case.

Nnamdi Kanu don free to go house?

Wit all dis tins wey di Appeal Court for Abuja tok, pipo dey ask question weda Nnamdi Kanu don dey free to go house.

Abuja based Human Rights Lawyer Samuel Ihensekhien try to breakdown di ruling for kontri pipo to understand.

Barrister Samuel tell BBC Pidgin say im dey salute di courage wey di Appeal Court get to give dis judgment, and wit wetin di Appeal Court tok, Nnamdi Kanu dey free to go im house.

E explain say wen pesin or pipo no take due process to follow law or comply wit di existing law di consequence be say e go render di whole proceedings illegal.

"Di capture of Nnamdi Kanu back to Nigeria dey against di Nigeria extradition Act, e dey against di African Charter of pipo and Human Rights, e also dey against evri law wey dey govern international law.

"Before you extradite anybodi or a citizen from any African Kontri you must face follow di extradition laws of di kontri and follow di due process of di court, na until di court give you permission you fit return di pesin to face any trial for im kontri."

"But for dis case, we just hear say Nnamdi Kanu surprisingly appear for Nigeria like angel, no procedure, no documentation, no official record.

E add say wetin court do be say, dem uphold di extra-ordinary rendition, wia dem dey arrest citizen from one kontri, cari dem go anoda kontri without due process.

Oga Samuel tok say Nigeria goment no get any choice now oda dan to let Nnamdi Kanu go.

"As e be so, Nnamdi Kanu na freeman , court don pronounce free, so im dey free, federal goment no get any choice oda dan to comply with di court of appeal ruling." e tok.

Wetin fit happun next?

Barrister Samuel Ihensekhien tell BBC Pidgin say di only option for federal goment now na to cari di mata go Supreme Court, but even if federal goment go cari di mata go supreme court, dem go first obey di judgement of di appeal court.

"Dis na case wey bother on di liberty of a citizen, dem need to comply first with dis judgement before dem take any oda step, becos e go dey wrong to still detain am wen court don discharge am of all di charges" e tok.

Meanwhile member of Nnamdi Kanu Legal team, Aloy Ejimakor tell BBC Pidgin immediately afta di ruling say "wen we kolet di judgement paper tomorrow (Thursday) we go serve Department of State Security (DSS) so dat dem go release am sharp sharp, as e be so, Nnamdi Kanu na free man" Aloy tok.

Wetin goment tok?

Federal goment lawyer David Kasuwe no tok to tori pipo afta di judgement.

But one statement from di office of di attorney general of di federation say dem dey study di judgement to determine dia next line of action.

Dem also clear di public say "for di avoidance of doubt and by the verdict of di Court, Kanu only dey discharged and not acquitted. "Di statement tok.

"Consequently, di appropriate legal options before di authorities go dey exploited and communicated accordingly to di public.

Di decision wey dey handed down by di court of appeal na on on a single issue wey border on rendition. Make e dey made clear to di general public say oda issues before di rendition on the basis of which Kanu jump bail remain valid issues for judicial determination. " Di statement add.

Dem say di federal goment go consider all available options open on di judgment on rendition while dem pursue determination of di pre-rendition issues.

Di Seven-Count charges wey Nnamdi Kanu bin dey appeal

Nigeria goment bin sama di proscribed Ipob leader 15 count charge wey border on terrorism, treason, secession and dat im be member of IPOB group wey goment don outlaw.

But for May 2022, Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court remove some of di charges from 15 to seven.

Na di remaining charges below di appeal court throway on Thursday.

Count 1: Say Nnamdi Kanu as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to intimidate di population.

Count 2: Say Nnamdi Kanu as member and leader of Ipob commit act of terrorism against di federal republic of Nigeria by making broadcast wit intention to threaten members of di public wit sit at home order.

Count 3: Say Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia e declare imsef as member and leader of Ipob, group wey Nigeria goment don ban.

Count 4: Say Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia e encourage members of di public to kill Nigeria security officers.

Count 5: Say Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia e encourage di public to attack officers of di Nigeria police force.

Count 13: Say Nnamdi Kanu make broadcast wia e encourage members of di public to burn down evri federal goment facility for Lagos wey lead to major economic loss to federal goment.

Count 15: Say Nnamdi Kanu import Radio transmitter known as Tram 50L and hide am inside container for Ubulisiuzor for Ihiala Local government area of Anambra.

Nnamdi Kanu case so far

Who be Nnamdi Kanu?

Nnamdi Kanu na Nigerian separatist leader and founder of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), one group wey want a breakaway state for south-east Nigeria. E found IPOB for 2014.

Kanu grow up for south-east and attend di University of Nsukka.

E move to di UK before graduating.

Soon afta e set up Ipob, e speak to gatherings of di large Igbo diaspora, calling for Biafran independence.

For some some of im comments, e ask Biafrans to take up arms against di Nigerian state.

"We need guns and we need bullets," e bin tok for one of such address.

And dat na wetin bring am to di attention of Nigeria security services.

Kanu dey seen by many as a dangerous propagandist, but e dey also consider as a lightning-rod for di way many Igbos still feel unhappy about Nigeria, years afta a three-year civil war between 1967 and 1970.

Authorities arrest Nnamdi Kanu for 2015 wen e return to Nigeria but dis only boost im profile.

Di man wey many Nigerians bin dismiss as troublemaker, even within im ethnic group, become di most talked about Igbo pesin.

Kanu form di Biafran Security Services (BSS), one mock militia wey dey dress in black and do parades for di eastern city of Abia, im home state.

As di Nigeria goment see say im group dey overdo too much, court come declare Ipob as terrorists group and ban dia activities.

For September 2017 di Nigerian army carry out one raid for Kanu house but e escape.

Many bin tink say dat na di end, but Kanu reappear for Europe for 2018 and continue di radio broadcasts wey e bin don dey do before

For late 2020, e resurrect di BSS and rechristen am di Eastern Security Network (ESN).