Kanu is asking the court to dismiss all charges against him
His legal team argues that the prosecution violates the Nigerian Constitution
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a fresh motion at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop his ongoing terrorism trial.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Kanu is asking the court to dismiss all charges against him, claiming that the case is unlawful since it is based on repealed legislation.
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His legal team argues that the prosecution violates the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and previous appellate court decisions.
The motion also contests the 2017 order proscribing IPOB, stating that it contradicts Justice Binta Nyako’s earlier ruling that declared the group was not an unlawful society.
Kanu further insists that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya without due extradition procedure stripped the court of jurisdiction to continue the case.
He also accuses Department of State Services (DSS) officials of breaching his right to a fair hearing by allegedly monitoring his meetings with lawyers and seizing confidential documents.
His team maintains that parts of the amended charges amount to double jeopardy and that the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which replaced the earlier law, renders the current charges invalid.
Citing the Court of Appeal’s 2022 ruling that discharged him, Kanu urged the court to terminate the trial, calling it “a violation of the rule of law.”
This latest filing adds another chapter to Kanu’s legal battle following his controversial return from Kenya in June 2021.
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