Supreme Court okays FG’s additional grounds against Kanu

A five-man Supreme Court panel on Thursday granted Federal Government’s leave to file nine additional grounds of appeal against the incarcerated Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu.

Justice John Okoro, leading other justices, delivered the ruling before adjourning hearing till next month.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Mike Ozekhome, informed the court he had filed for Kanu’s bail and another application seeking his transfer from the Department of State Services (DSS) facility to Kuje Correctional Facility. Ozekhome insists Kanu’s health has deteriorated while in DSS detention. He also prayed for an accelerated hearing of the suit. In response, the apex court urged Ozekhome to withdraw the pending motions to enable him focus on the substantive appeal.

On his part, counsel to Federal Government sought an adjournment to file a counter affidavit, adding he just newly took over the case.

The court subsequently fixed May 11 for a hearing on the pending motion and the main appeal.

Kanu’s distraught counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, tweeted following the ruling: “Sadly, the Supreme Court has adjourned the #MNK appeal hearing to next month.”

TheCornet reported that a court had previously quashed terrorism charges preferred by the federal government against the separatist leader. Kanu is agitating for the creation of a Biafra nation out of the Nigerian federation.