The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday asked the Supreme Court to set aside the Court of Appeal ruling staying execution of a judgment that discharged him.

Kanu’s prayer is contained in court papers obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) dated November 3.

Kanu averred that the court erred in law when it proceeded to hear and determine an application for a stay of execution of judgment in a criminal appeal brought under Order 6, Rule 1 of the Court of Appeal Rules, 2021, and Section 17 of the Court of Appeal Act of 2004, and thereby occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

Both the Court of Appeal Rules 2021 and Court of Appeal Act, 2004, did not make any provisions for stay of execution of a Court of Appeal judgment in a criminal appeal.

Kanu said the court erred in law when it failed to properly assess, evaluate or appraise the evidence led by and on behalf of the appellant and consequently arrived at a wrong conclusion.

He sought an order restoring the efficacy of the judgment of the court below “which has not in any way been set aside by a higher court.”

The applicant also sought such further order or orders, as the court may deem fit, to make in the circumstances of the appeal.

NAN reports that the appellate court had on October 13, freed Kanu of the terrorism and treasonable felony charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.

The three-member panel had, in the judgment, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which quashed eight out of the 15 counts of the charge preferred against Kanu.

In the unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, the Appeal Court declared as illegal and unlawful the abduction of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria.

It quashed the entire seven charges retained by the trial court against him on the ground that the Federal Government breached all local and international laws in the forceful extradition of Kanu to Nigeria, thereby making the terrorism charges against him incompetent and unlawful.

The Federal Government applied for a stay of execution order, urging the court not to release Kanu as he was seen as a flight risk and security threat to the country.

The court granted the government’s application for a stay of judgment discharging Kanu of the terrorism charge.

THE NATION