IPOB GIVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 14 DAYS TO ACT ON NNAMDI KANU’S APPEAL

The Indigenous People of Biafra has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to ensure that the pending appeal of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is listed and heard by the Court of Appeal.

The group warned that failure to act within the stipulated period could lead to mobilisation for a boycott of the 2027 general elections across the South-East and other areas it identifies as Biafraland.

IPOB’s Head of Directorate of State, Mazi Chris Nwaogu, announced the position in a video broadcast on Monday amid renewed concerns from Kanu’s family over what it described as delays in the hearing of his appeal against his conviction and life sentence.

Kanu’s family had reportedly written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting that his pending cases be listed and heard without further delay.

The IPOB official accused the Federal Government of failing to file its respondent’s brief and appear before the Court of Appeal to defend Kanu’s conviction. He questioned why the government moved quickly to secure a conviction but had allegedly not taken similar steps to defend it at the appellate stage.

Nwaogu said IPOB would consider encouraging an election boycott if the Federal Government failed to ensure that the appeal was listed within 14 days. He argued that the government could not expect the support of voters while, in his view, failing to address the legal issues surrounding Kanu’s case.

Kanu’s legal battle dates back to his arrest in 2015 over terrorism-related allegations and other offences. He was granted bail in 2017 but later left Nigeria following a military operation at his residence.

He returned to Nigeria in 2021 after being arrested in Kenya and brought back to the country. His lawyers subsequently challenged the circumstances surrounding his return, describing it as an extraordinary rendition.

In October 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja discharged and acquitted Kanu, with the court holding that issues surrounding the manner of his return to Nigeria had affected the continuation of the prosecution.

However, the Supreme Court later overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision. Nwaogu criticised the apex court’s ruling and argued that it had gone beyond its constitutional powers in making pronouncements concerning individual counts that had previously been quashed.

The IPOB official also criticised the broader handling of Kanu’s case by the Nigerian judiciary, alleging that the proceedings had exposed serious weaknesses within the justice system.

IPOB’s latest position adds a political dimension to the continuing legal dispute, as the group has linked the handling of Kanu’s appeal to its proposed position on participation in the 2027 elections.

The group maintained that its 14-day deadline was intended to pressure the relevant authorities to address what it considers an unacceptable delay in the judicial process.