The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, has reserved judgement on an appeal the detained leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu filed to quash the terrorism and treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
Mazi Kanu who is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, approached the appellate court to query the legal competence of the charge pending against him.
When the matter came up, a three-man panel led by Justice Jummai Hanatu, said it would not delve into the issue of bail since the substantive appeal was ripe for hearing.
The lead counsel to the appellant, Chief Ozekhome, alleged that his client was forcefully abducted from Kenya and illegally renditioned back to the country.
He argued that under the doctrine of specialty as provided for in section 15 of the Extradition Act, the Federal Government would have proceeded to try Kanu on the five-count charge he was initially facing before he escaped from the country.
He argued that Kenya, being the country from where Kanu was arrested and extraordinarily renditioned back to Nigeria, should have authorised his extradition
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through its counsel, David Kaswe urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lack of merit.
He maintained that Mazi Kanu was brought back to the country by due process of the law.
He argued that the charge has been amended seven times owing to the conduct of the appellant.
After listening to the argument of the parties, the panel said it would communicate a date for the judgment.
RN
