The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgement in an application by the Federal Government seeking a stay of execution of the court’s judgment that ordered the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mister Nnamdi Kanu.
Leading a three-man panel, Justice Haruna Tsanami, announced that a date for delivery of judgment would be communicated to the parties when ready after counsels adopted their written addresses.
While arguing its motion for a stay of execution, counsel for the federal government, Mister David Kaswe, tells the court that Mister Nnamdi Kanu is a huge threat to national security and must be kept in detention for the relative peace in the South-East and the whole country, pending the resolution of an appeal already filed at the Supreme Court.
He added that Kanu is a flight risk and would escape out of the country if the judgment which ordered his release, was not stayed.
However, the Lead Counsel to Kanu, Mister Mike Ozekhome, dismissed the claim that Kanu jumped bail in his trial at the Federal High Court.
Mister Ozekhome claims that the military unjustly invaded Kanu’s ancestral home and he escape death by the whiskers.
He further told the court that the Federal Government was in contempt of court, by not obeying the October 13 judgment and as such, has no moral and legal rights to make the request from the same court.
He further argued that contrary to the Federal Government’s claims, it is only the release of his client that will ensure peace, not only in the South-East but the entire country.
Justice Tsanami subsequently reserved judgement.
Following that judgement, there have been pleas for the Federal Government to obey the order of the court to release Mister Kanu, a plea that the government is not considering in view of the suit pending at the Supreme Court.
